David Montgomery — Week 4: Ten Carries, Then the Lateral
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Tuesday, Oct 6
Montgomery carried 10 times for 24 yards and no first downs against Dallas, but took a lateral from Dalton Schultz on third and 14 with 2:34 left and ran 19 yards to the Dallas 6, Houston's biggest win-probability play, setting up the go-ahead touchdown in a 34–30 loss to the Cowboys.
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The full read
27 to 23, Cowboys, two 34 left, third and 14 at the Dallas 27. C.J. Stroud threw short right to Dalton Schultz, who caught it for two yards and pitched it to David Montgomery, and Montgomery was pushed out at the six. 21 yards on the play, 19 of them his. +2.9 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and 24 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it, more than any other Houston snap. Woody Marks scored from the six on the next play.
The rest of the line was hard going. 10 carries, 24 yards, no first downs, two of the 10 successful, −3.6 expected points on the carries. The carries went two, two, nothing, one, three, six, one, two, five and two. The nothing was second and three at the Dallas seven on the opening drive; Stroud threw the touchdown to Nico Collins on the next snap. He was not targeted.
Houston called 17 designed runs: Montgomery 10, Marks six, Jaylin Noel one.
Back in June the preview's bet was that a lead role in Houston would reverse an efficiency decline. Week 1 was 20 carries and two rushing touchdowns, Week 2 six carries, Week 3 11 for 33. Four games: 47 carries, a hundred 27 yards, under three a carry. The role has mostly been his; the efficiency has not come with it.
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_Data via nflverse._
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