The Houston Texans strengthened their playoff hopes as they eased to a 34-10 win over the ailing Dallas Cowboys.

The win gives the 7-4 Texans a two-game cushion at the top of the AFC South, while the Cowboys fall to 3-7 after a fifth straight defeat.

Joe Mixon ran for three touchdowns, the first two giving the Texans a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

KaVontae Turpin cut the gap when he converted a 64-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Rush at the start of the second quarter, but the Cowboys were only able to add a Brandon Aubrey field goal from 53 yards.

Ka’imi Fairbairn added field goals either side of that effort to stretch the Texans’ advantage and Derek Barnett made it 27-10 as he ran in a fumble return from 28 yards at the start of the fourth quarter.

Mixon rounded off a one-sided Texas clash, running in from a yard out late on.

It wrapped up a bad night for the Cowboys which had started with debris falling from their stadium’s roof as it was opened before the game.

There were no reports of injuries.