Looking at the Intense NFL Rivalry Between Dallas & Houston

Texas has had two juggernauts rule in the NFL world to represent the cities of Dallas & Houston. During their times of being franchises, we've seen some epic match ups to decide which city has the superior Texas team. Whenever we see the two Texas teams play against each other, we usually call it the Governors Cup. But how many times have we've seen the battle for Texas commence on the football field?

How many times have the Dallas Cowboys played against the Houston Texans

With the exception of the 2024-25 season, the Cowboys & Texans have played against each other only a total of 6 times. The first match up was in 2002 & it was the Texans getting the win at home against the Cowboys, beating them 19-10. Fun fact, this was the very first game for the Houston Texans, as they were a new expansion team in the NFL.

The two teams would meet up again with the Cowboys getting wins in 2006, 2010, 2014. The Texans would win in overtime in 2018 & the Cowboys would win in 2022 in a pretty insane fashion. So currently the Cowboys record over the Texans are 4-2.

How many times have the Dallas Cowboys played against the Houston Oilers

This is where it gets interesting because the Oilers would originate in Houston before they moved to Tennessee; the first time the Houston Oilers played the Cowboys was back in 1970 & would lose 52-10. The two teams would play off and on between 1970-1994 & play a total of 8 games, including one of the most memorable games for Houston in 1991. The last matchup between the Cowboys & Oilers would see Dallas getting the win; 20-17.

The Oilers would move to Tennessee and play the Cowboys one more time in 1997; the Cowboys would lost 27-14. After that the team would change their name to the Tennessee Titans. In total, the Cowboys had a 5-4 record over the Oilers.

We can't even forget about the matchups BEFORE the Cowboys time; the Dallas Texans would face off against the Houston Oilers in the AFL including the 1962 AFL Championship Game. The Texans would win the championship that year & that same Dallas team would become one of the biggest teams in the AFC West today...

So far Dallas has the most wins over BOTH Houston teams; will it stay that way? Only time will tell...

Both Texas teams would actually beat an NFL record for having the most attended NFL game in 1994. You can read that story here.

Get our free mobile app