In overtime on Sunday night, the Cowboys found themselves with a 4th-and-1 at the Houston Texans’ 42 yard line. Five minutes and 40 seconds remained.
Modern N.F.L. strategy has increasingly leaned toward going for it on short fourth downs, and the 42 is about the perfect spot to do so: too far for an easy field goal, but deep enough into enemy territory that a punt won’t help a lot.
Jason Garrett, the Cowboys coach, called for a punt.
Though Chris Jones’s punt was good, putting the Texans at the 10 yard line, the Cowboys did not touch the ball again.