Raiders Edge Texans 22-20 in Preseason Week 2
Las Vegas Raiders 22, Houston Texans 20 at Reliant Stadium. Aidan O'Connell went 15 of 24 for 166 yards.
Quarter Scoring
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Raiders | 0 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 22 |
 Texans | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Texans Leaders
Raiders Leaders
Team Stats
| Raiders | Stat | Texans |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1st Downs | 13 |
| 10 | Passing 1st downs | 6 |
| 11 | Rushing 1st downs | 5 |
| 1 | 1st downs from penalties | 2 |
| 4-12 | 3rd down efficiency | 7-17 |
| 0-0 | 4th down efficiency | 0-0 |
| 68 | Total Plays | 59 |
| 400 | Total Yards | 219 |
| 5.9 | Yards per Play | 3.7 |
| 13 | Total Drives | 12 |
| 241 | Passing | 141 |
| 23/39 | Comp/Att | 21/31 |
| 6.0 | Yards per pass | 4.1 |
| 1 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
| 1-11 | Sacks-Yards Lost | 3-23 |
| 159 | Rushing | 78 |
| 28 | Rushing Attempts | 25 |
| 5.7 | Yards per rush | 3.1 |
| 3-3 | Red Zone (Made-Att) | 0-0 |
| 9-83 | Penalties | 4-25 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 2 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
| 1 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
| 0 | Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 1 |
| 30:35 | Possession | 29:25 |
Scoring Plays
8 scores Preseason Week 2: Raiders' Mendoza Evaluation Continues in Houston
Read the full recap →The Las Vegas Raiders travel to NRG Stadium to face the Houston Texans on Thursday, August 20. Rookie Fernando Mendoza has been running the first-team offense in joint practices, suggesting Las Vegas is keeping its quarterback evaluation genuinely open rather than handing the job outright to Kirk Cousins. Houston, meanwhile, has scaled back its plans and now intends to rest more starters than originally expected, especially on defense.
Mendoza keeps pushing for real reps
Getting first-team snaps in joint practice is a notable signal for the No. 1 overall pick, and another live look against Houston adds to a rookie evaluation that's moving faster than a typical Week 2 timeline.
Texans dialing back starter workload
Houston altered its original plan to rest fewer players, now sitting more starters, particularly on defense, which could open lanes for Las Vegas's offense regardless of who plays quarterback.
Physical joint practices set the tone
The teams' joint sessions this week were notably physical up front, a sign both lines are treating this matchup as a real evaluation opportunity rather than a formality.
Pregame AI Prediction
How the prediction did
Predicted 21-17 (Raiders vs Texans), final was 22-20. Las Vegas won 22-20 as projected, though Mendoza actually struggled in the first half, throwing a pick-six before the Raiders pulled it out.
Raiders Texans Mendoza's expanded role is a real edge
First-team reps in practice typically translate to sharper execution in the game itself, giving Las Vegas's offense a clearer plan than a Texans unit missing extra starters.
Houston's deeper rest plan works against them
Sitting more defensive starters than originally planned removes some of the Texans' best chances to disrupt whoever plays quarterback for Las Vegas.
Preseason variance keeps confidence low
Both rosters are still dominated by backups and roster-bubble players, so the final score remains hard to project precisely.
This is a preseason exhibition. Mendoza's elevated role is the clearest signal in either direction, but confidence stays low given how much preseason outcomes hinge on players who won't factor into the regular season.
Venue
Closing Line
Officials
Futures odds for these teams
Super Bowl futures, win totals & where to bet
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