I know this may feel weird, because the Houston Texans have not played very good football for the better part of the last three years, but their opponent this coming Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders, are a team against whom the Texans actually have a winning record all-time, at a stellar 7-4 mark.
Perhaps even more intriguing (and I’ll credit my former cohost and current good friend, Texans sideline reporter John Harris, with this nugget), Sunday’s game in Las Vegas will mark the fourth different venue in which these teams have played over the last four contests. In 2014, they played in Oakland (a Texans win). In 2016, they played in Mexico City (a Texans loss). Finally, in 2019, they played in Houston.
Now, it’s VIVA LAS VEGAS!
In what is one of the more shocking turns for the 1-3-1 Texans and their schedule this season, they actually enter this game on Sunday with a better record than the 1-4 Raiders. (Yay for TIES!) However, the Raiders, as the more talented team of the two, are a robust seven point favorites on Sunday. So, as both teams seek their second win of the 2022 campaign, here are the major storylines heading into the Texans’ first game post-Jack Easterby firing:
4. Twin running backs
The best offensive player for each of these teams has been their lead running backs. Josh Jacobs, who the Raiders chose not to exercise a fifth year option on before the season, is currently third in the NFL in rushing with 490 yards. Texans rookie Dameon Pierce is eighth with 412 yards. Interestingly enough, every other running back around these two in the NFL rushing rankings has played an extra game. Also, interestingly enough, the two backs have very similar styles, as they would rather run over a would be tackler than around them. Both teams will lean heavily on these guys, and as a result, this game might only last 2.5 hours, with the clock basically running non stop. Neither team is great defensively either, so look for the fantasy owners of each of these guys to be salivating.
3. Stingley versus Adams
Derek Stingley, Jr. has had a solid enough start for the Texans, in his first five games of his rookie campaign, as he has allowed just a 69.9 passer rating on passes in which he’s been targeted by opposing quarterbacks. That’s really good. Meanwhile, Davante Adams, the centerpiece of a huge trade by the Raiders this offseason, has been decent, but not great. He had two touchdowns in a loss to the Chiefs last Monday, but was better remembered for shoving a cameraman to the ground after the game. Hopefully, this is a game where Lovie Smith lets Stingley follow an elite receiver like Adams all over the field.
2. Keep Crosby off Mills
Davis Mills is off to a slow start to his sophomore campaign. With a passer rating barely above 80, Mills could use a solid start so he can pick up some momentum in his quest to remain the starting QB for this team beyond 2022. The Raiders, luckily for Mills, have a defense that might oblige him in that endeavor, as they are 30th against the pass, and allow a passer rating of nearly 107. The key for the Texans will be keeping edge rusher Maxx Crosby off of Mills, as Crosby has responded to getting a huge contract extension by racking up six of the Raiders’ eight sacks to begin the season.
1. Harass Carr
Defensively, the Texans need to get their pass rush back to where it was in the first three games of the season. Through three games, the Texans had 10 sacks, but then in Week 4, they barely touched Justin Herbert, as he carved them up in a 34-24 loss to the Chargers. Then, in Week 5, the Texans were able to win a game despite AGAIN barely getting to Jags QB Trevor Lawrence. Raiders QB Derek Carr can be mistake prone (4 INT’s this season), and it will really help the young secondary of the Texans if Jerry Hughes, Jon Greenard, and company can get after Carr.
SPREAD: Texans +7
PREDICTION: Raiders 34, Texans 24
RECORD: 2-2-1 SU, 1-3-1 ATS
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.
