The Las Vegas Raiders picked up a decisive and important victory against the Houston Texans on Sunday, 38-20. Blowout wins like this have been few and far between for the Silver and Black in recent memory, so it’s good to see the team put away an inferior opponent. Let’s go through each position group and see how they did in this crucial Raiders win.
Grading the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense
Quarterback
Derek Carr had another efficient day against Houston, going 21-for-27 with 241 passing yards and a score. He kept drives alive with his arm and showed some mobility in the pocket. He was able to move the Raiders into the red zone regularly, and even though he only had one passing touchdown, he didn’t make any mistakes either. Solid day for the Raiders’ signal caller.
Grade: B+
Running Backs
At this current time, there is no running back in football playing better than Josh Jacobs. He rushed 20 times for 143 yards and three touchdowns, all coming in the second half. He also added three catches for 12 yards. Jacobs dominated the Texans’ defense just as he did to the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos in the previous two games. Jacobs is playing at such a high level that he’s drawing statistical comparisons to Marcus Allen. If the Raiders are to make the playoffs, they will have to keep riding Jacobs all the way. Nobody can stop Jacobs right now.
Grade: A+
Receivers
The Raiders passed 27 times and rushed 27 times, and that balance paid off even though the receivers didn’t get the chance to shine. Mack Hollins caught a strike from Carr to score a touchdown at the end of the first half, but mostly the pass was used to set up the run against Houston. Las Vegas had a ton of success in play action, and I look for them to use it more going forward. Davante Adams led the team with six catches for 95 yards, and DJ Turner came back from IR with a strong effort in the return game.
Grade: B
Offensive Line
What a turnaround for this unit from the beginning of the season. The line was a shambles to start the year, but the coaches have struck gold with the current starting five. Jacobs has been able to set records in large part because the line has been blowing holes open for him, and Carr typically has plenty of time in the pocket. The Raider line dominated today.
Grade: A+
Grading the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense
Defensive Line
Following a solid effort against the Chiefs, the Raiders’ line had an off day against Houston. They only logged one sack and generally failed to stop the run or pressure Davis Mills. They will have to do better next week if the Raiders want to win on the road in New Orleans.
Grade: D
Linebackers
Jayon Brown was out for this game, and Houston took advantage with passes over the middle and plenty of screens. Divine Deablo had 11 tackles, six solo and one tackle for loss. Denzel Perryman had six tackles, five solo, with two tackles for a loss. They had to pick up the slack against the run with the defensive line playing so poorly.
Grade: C
Secondary
Something has gone wrong when Davis Mills throws for 302 yards. It seemed like every Texans wideout was open on every play. The Raiders clearly missed Nate Hobbs and Anthony Averett was rusty. However, the Raiders allowed zero fourth-quarter points and a Duron Harmon pick six sealed this Raiders’ win. When it mattered most, this unit stepped up in crunch time.
Grade: B
Raiders Come Out to A Sloppy Start, 1st Half Against The Texans
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Zach Bolinger