Cowboys’ embarrassing start includes little effort on Texans TD and a failed fake punt

The Dallas Cowboys weren’t exactly at their best to start “Monday Night Football.”

They gave up a 77-yard touchdown to Nico Collins, though it was called back due to a penalty. A few plays later the Houston Texans scored on a 45-yard touchdown run by Joe Mixon. Collins and Mixon were barely touched on those plays.

The Cowboys’ start went from cringeworthy to embarrassing on their first drive.

Dallas tried a fake punt on fourth-and-9 and Houston reacted like they knew it was coming. Punter Bryan Anger lofted a pass over the line to Juanyeh Thomas, and as soon as Thomas caught it he was blasted in the back by Texans receiver John Metchie III, far short of the first-down marker.

The Cowboys had one bright spot early, when the defense got an interception on fourth down, but a few plays later Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush gave it right back to Houston on his own interception.

The poor start to the game was not even the worst thing that happened to the Cowboys on Monday night. That was probably when pieces of metal fell from the roof of AT&T Stadium when they tried to open it long before kickoff.

This season hasn’t gone well for the Cowboys. The start on Monday was a microcosm of all their problems.