LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Joe Mixon scored a hat-trick of touchdowns as the Houston Texans romped to a 34-10 victory over the crisis-stricken Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL) on Monday.

Running back Mixon rushed over for two first-quarter touchdowns to give Houston an early 14-0 lead that laid the foundation for an easy win.

Mixon then added a third touchdown in the fourth quarter to deepen the gloom that has swirled around the Cowboys, one of the most iconic franchises in the NFL.

“I just try to do whatever I can to be the best player and the best teammate that I know I am,” Mixon told ESPN.

“I want to try and put the team on my back and make that run and lead us to the promised land,” added Mixon, who finished with 109 rushing yards from 20 carries.

Hours before kickoff the Cowboys were given a scare when a large sheet of metal from the ceiling of their $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium plunged to the field as the venue’s retractable roof was opened for the first time since 2022.

‘I don’t know that there’s anything beyond the obvious — and that is we just aren’t playing very well.’

That incident was seized upon by many commentators as emblematic of the Cowboys’ wretched season, which after Monday’s loss has left them at 3-7, without a home win and without any realistic chance of reaching the playoffs.

Cowboys’ billionaire owner Jerry Jones was at a loss to explain the reasons behind his team’s six-game home losing streak.

“I don’t know that there’s anything beyond the obvious — and that is we just aren’t playing very well,” Jones told reporters.

Dallas did manage to raise a cheer from their home fans when KaVontae Turpin gathered a 64-yard pass from Cooper Rush to score a second-quarter touchdown that made it 14-7.

Texans kicker Ka’Imi Fairbairn and Dallas counterpart Brandon Aubrey traded field goals to leave Texas 17-10 ahead at half-time.

Fairbairn then extended Houston’s lead to 10 points with his second field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-10.

But the wheels then fell off for Dallas in the fourth quarter, Houston’s Derek Barnett galloping 28 yards into the end zone for a touchdown after a comical Cowboys blunder that saw them manage to fumble twice on the same play.

That made it 27-10 and the Cowboys’ miserable night continued when quarterback Rush was sacked for the fifth time as Dallas turned over on downs and Houston took over to set up Mixon’s final touchdown.