Game Recap: Raiders Erase Point Deficit, Outmuscle Texans Down the Stretch

The Las Vegas Raiders stormed back from a 17-point hole to beat the Houston Texans 22-20 in preseason action, capped by a game-winning 96-yard drive.

HOUSTON — Whatever happened at Tuesday’s joint practice between the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans, it followed both teams straight into Thursday’s preseason game. And not all of it was pretty at first.

The Raiders carried over some of the same growing pains from that practice session into the early stages of the matchup. But instead of letting the rough start define the night, Las Vegas dug in, clawed back from a 17-point deficit, and walked away with a 22-20 road win.

“Plenty to clean up, plenty to get better at,” head coach Klint Kubiak said afterward, earning his first win on the Raiders’ sideline. “But what great heart that we showed in the second half. The whole team — offense, defense — really proud of our guys.”

Growing Pains Up Front for Fernando Mendoza

The pressure Houston’s pass rush generated was a legitimate concern for Las Vegas, even against a Texans unit made up mostly of backups. Fernando Mendoza took a sack from rookie Kayden McDonald, absorbed five total hits in the pocket, and threw a costly pick-six under pressure from fellow rookie Woody Woodaz.

Mendoza didn’t shy away from the rough outing afterward.

“I came away that there’s a lot more learning to do,” he said. “Although maybe you had success at another level, this level’s a whole step further and the margins are so small. One tiny mistake can lead to catastrophe. Want to make sure that I best serve my teammates and get better from these experiences.”

Mike Washington Jr. Builds on His Breakout Preseason

If there was a silver lining heading into the game, it was the way rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. had performed against Houston’s starting defense in that Tuesday practice — flashing big plays and a touchdown run that carried real promise.

He backed it up two days later. Washington broke off a 33-yard run on his very first carry that nearly went the distance, and finished the night with 56 yards on nine attempts. It’s now back-to-back strong showings for the fourth-round pick, who also posted 63 rushing yards in his preseason debut against the Arizona Cardinals.

“I knew they had a pretty good defense and I made a couple good plays during the joint practice,” Washington said. “So after watching film, I knew that I could do the same thing in a game. Really just had to do everything that I was doing in practice, do it in the game.”

The Ground Game Powers the Comeback

Washington wasn’t alone in shouldering the load. Dylan Laube chipped in 37 yards on six carries and punched in a touchdown of his own, while former Texans back Dare Ogunbowale added a 19-yard scoring run that trimmed Houston’s lead to just four points.

“We were in pads three times this past week, building up to this joint practice and then going into this game,” Johnson said. “I think everything that we did throughout the week really showed up tonight.”

O’Connell Seals It With a 96-Yard Game-Winning Drive

With the game hanging in the balance, Aidan O’Connell took over and marched the offense 96 yards down the field for the win. A 33-yard connection with Brandon Johnson up the seam set up the finishing touch — a sneak from the 1-yard line to put Las Vegas ahead for good.

“I thought the team did a great job,” O’Connell said. “Fight until the end. Everybody was in it. We had encouragement even from the guys who weren’t playing, and then obviously the guys that were playing, finishing off like that was great.”

Looking Ahead

As the Raiders shift their focus to their preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers, they left Reliant Stadium with “Livin’ On A Prayer” blasting from the locker room speakers — a fitting soundtrack for a night that came down to the wire.

There’s still plenty to fix before the regular season, but if this trip to Houston was any indication, the Raiders got exactly what they needed out of it.

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