Quick Hits: Houston Texans vs Las Vegas Raiders Preview

In the first game of the Post-Grimma Wormtongue era, your Houston Texans travel to Sin City to take on the Las Vegas Raiders. There’s a bad joke in there somewhere connecting Easterby to sin, but, whatever ... Either way, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Texans as 7-point underdogs.

Prior to the season, the Raiders were considered by many a likely team to make a deep run into the playoffs. But, Josh McDaniels be McDanieling and the Raiders are currently competing for the highest pick in the 2023 NFL draft instead.

No one in their right mind thought the 2022 Houston Texans were playing past week 17. And, here they are, performing as expected.

Oddly enough, the Texans are actually a half game better than the Raiders, sitting at 1-3-1 vs Las Vegas’s 1-4 record.

When you have Davis Mills at quarterback, you might expect that record.

When you have Derek Carr, along with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams on offense, you’d expect the points to come in bunches and bunches.

But, they haven’t.

In fact, the Raiders are the 23rd place scoring offense, having hit the end zone only 11 times this year.

Unfortunately for us, the Texans are 31st on the list, with only eight total touchdowns.

Logic would dictate this to be a low scoring affair between two anemic offenses.

Each defense has given up five rushing touchdowns so far. However, the Texans have only given up 4 passing touchdowns while the Raiders have given away 11.

Granted, Mills isn’t Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert.

That leaves this game in the hands of the great Texans hope: Dameon Pierce. With some help from the stingy Houston defense, Pierce should get the ball early and often. That is, as long as fellow rookies Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre can keep Carr and company from catching fire.

NFL Media

Houston running back Dameon Pierce ranks second with 469 scrimmage yards (412 rushing, 57 receiving).

Pierce has totaled over 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in each of his past three games. With at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown at Las Vegas on Sunday (4:05 PM ET, CBS), he will become the fifth rookie since 2000 to record 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in four-or-more consecutive games, joining Alvin Kamara (five consecutive games in 2017), Saquon Barkley (four in 2018), Odell Beckham Jr. (four in 2014) and Kevin Jones (four in 2004).

Or, maybe the referees will win it for H-Town:

Houston Texans vs Las Vegas Raiders

• Raiders lead all-time series, 7-4
• Texans have won two of last three
• LAST GAME: 10/27/19: Raiders 24 at Texans 27
• LAST GAME AT SITE: 11/21/16: Raiders 27, Texans 20 (in Oakland)

Houston Texans Stats

• QB DAVIS MILLS completed 16 of 24 atts. (66.7 pct.) for 140 yards with 0 INTs in Week 5. Has 0 INTs in 3 of 5 starts this season. Has 240+ pass yards & 2 TD passes in 2 of 3 career starts vs. AFC West.
• RB DAMEON PIERCE (rookie) led team with 113 scrimmage yards (99 rush, 14 rec.) in Week 5. Aims for 4th in row with 100+ scrimmage yards & rush TD. Leads all rookies with 412 rush yards & ranks 2nd with 469 scrimmage yards.
• RB REX BURKHEAD had 98 scrimmage yards (49 rush, 49 rec.) & career-high 3 TDs (2 rush, 1 rec.) in his last game vs. LV (9/27/20 w/ NE). Has TD in 2 of his past 3 vs. AFC West.
• WR BRANDIN COOKS has 17 catches for 379 yards (126.3 per game) & 3 TDs in 3 career games vs. Raiders. Has 50+ rec. yards in 8 of his past 9 vs. AFC West.
• WR NICO COLLINS had team-high 65 rec. yards in Week 5. Aims for his 3rd in row with 65+ rec. yards.
• CB DESMOND KING tied career high with 3 PD & had 1st INT of season in Week 5. Has PD in 4 of 5 games this season. Has 6+ tackles in 2 of past 3. Aims for his 5th in row on road with PD.
• CB DEREK STINGLEY JR. (rookie) had 7 tackles, 2 PD & 1st-career INT in Week 5. Has 5+ tackles in 4 of 5 games this season.
• S JALEN PITRE (rookie) tied for team lead with 8 tackles in Week 8. Aims for 6th in row with 5+ tackles. Has TFL in 2 of past 3.
• LB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY tied for team lead with 8 tackles & had PD in Week 5. Aims for his 8th in row with 5+ tackles.

Las Vegas Raiders Stats

• QB DEREK CARR passed for 241 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for season-high 110.6 rating in Week 5. Aims for 3rd in row with 0 INTs. Passed for 285 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 125 rating in last meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Hou. with 3+ TD passes & 115+ rating. Has 2 TD passes in each of 1st 3 road starts in 2022.
• RB JOSH JACOBS had career-high 193 scrimmage yards (career-high 154 rush, 39 rec.) & rush TD in Week 5. Aims for 3rd in row with 175+ scrimmage yards & rush TD. Had 81 scrimmage yards (66 rush, 15 rec.) in last meeting. Has 524 scrimmage yards (131 per game) & 3 rush TDs in his past 4 at home. Aims for his 7th in row vs. AFC South with 70+ scrimmage yards.
• WR DAVANTE ADAMS led team with 124 rec. yards & season-high 2 rec. TDs in Week 5. Aims for 3rd in row with 100+ rec. yards. Has TD catch in 4 of 5 games this season. Had 13 catches for 196 yards & 2 TDs in his last game vs. Hou. (10/25/20 w/ GB). Aims for his 6th in row vs. AFC South with TD catch.
• WR HUNTER RENFROW had 4 catches for 88 yards & TD in last meeting.
• TE DARREN WALLER had TD catch in last meeting. Has 70+ rec. yards in 3 of his past
• 4 vs. AFC South.
• DE MAXX CROSBY aims for 5th in row with sack & 3rd in row with 2+ sacks. Has 9 TFL
• (3 per game) in his past 3. Had 6 tackles, 2 TFL & FF in last meeting. Aims for 7th in
• row at home with TFL & 5th in row at home with sack. Leads NFL with 11 TFL in 2022.
• DE CHANDLER JONES has 14 TFL in his past 6 vs. AFC South.
• LB DENZEL PERRYMAN had season-high 8 tackles & 1st sack of season in Week 6