The Dallas Cowboys came out of the Week 4 trip to Houston with a win, and though it was not the kind of all-cylinders, blowout performance the team had hoped for against an 0-3 Texans team, the 34-30 decision was enough to check the W box and move on. But if there is some hope that big things could still be ahead for this group and its 2026 NFL season future, it comes from the two big storylines on Sunday–CeeDee Lamb and Joey Porter Jr.
Lamb’s receiving line in his first game playing in Houston, where he grew up after his family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina, was astounding: a career-high 17 catches for 189 yards and the game winning touchdown, remarkable efficiency against one of the best secondaries in the NFL. His re-emergence this season after fighting through injuries last year can be cause for optimism that the Cowboys’ offensive dominance in the last three games may be sustainable.
Joey Porter Watching CeeDee Lamb ‘A Long Time’
Then there was Porter Jr., who had only two practices to get integrated with his new teammates and learn the Cowboys’ defense. he played 24 snaps, and was targeted by Texans quarterback CJ Stroud only once. He allowed no catches on the day. For a Cowboys cornerback group that has struggled, that is a promising sign.
But after the game, Porter Jr. has some strong words for what Lamb did out on the field.
Via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News: “I’ve been watching him for a long time. So what he and [George Pickens] do is nothing surprising to me. I’m a DB, so I watch their tape on the regular. So I’m glad I’m on their side, and they get to do that, and I get to watch from the sidelines.”
Cowboys ‘Got to Finish’
Porter, for his part, described his Cowboys debut as “hectic.” He arrived at The Star on Thursday morning and was playing a key role just three days later–despite having not played since last year.
He told reporters in the locker room after the game, “It took a lot. But I am a dog at the end of the day and I want to be out there with the guys, so I have to prove why they got me here, and I feel like I did that today.”
He said it was critical that the Cowboys finish off that game.
Said Porter: “We’ve got to finish. That’s exactly what we did, when the ball was on us, when it was on the defense, we came out and made a good stop for the team. So, man, there’s stuff to work on but we’ll still take the W.”
Cowboys’ Joey Porter Not ‘Surprised’ by CeeDee Lamb