How the Raiders Can Defy the Odds in Week 16

The Las Vegas Raiders have a daunting game against the Houston Texans in Week 16. How can they make this game interesting and have an exciting game against one of the best defenses in the NFL?

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson (9) warms up by the heater prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders don't have much to play for the remainder of the season. They are well out of the playoff race, and they'd be hurting their draft stock if they won any of their last three games. With that being said, it should never be a team's goal to lose as embarrassingly as possible.

That's what the Raiders did against the Philadelphia Eagles, as they had less than 100 yards of total offense in the game. Pete Carroll may be fighting for his job in these last couple of weeks, and he has to show some form of improvement to give the Raiders' front office some confidence moving forward.

Week 16 Predictions

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'E Thornton Jr. (10) warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Pete Prisco writes for CBS Sports, and he made his weekly predictions identifying which teams he believes will come out victorious in Week 16. The Houston Texans are heavy favorites against the Raiders, and he doesn't predict an upset.

"The Raiders are bad right now with little semblance of an offense, while the Texans are the best defense in the league. That's a bad combination. The Raiders are also playing consecutive road games with no chance for the playoffs, while the Texans would be in the postseason right now and need it. Texans in a blowout", said Prisco.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Some members of Raider Nation may not consider this a good thing, but Geno Smith will take up the starting position once again. Kenny Pickett may have gotten the short end of the stick with his first game as a starter going up against the reigning defending Super Bowl champions, but you can't lead a team to 0 points and expect to continue to be the starter after that.

However, that's exactly what Smith did in Week 7, and he only missed that game against the Eagles due to injury. Regardless, the Raiders are facing another elite defense on the road, which means it's going to be extremely difficult to move the ball in a hostile environment.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs with the ball during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Raiders can defy the odds by making this game harder than it needs to be for the Texans. Their defense will cause problems for Smith and the Raiders' offense, but I believe they can make things difficult on C.J. Stroud and make this a competitive game.

That only happens if Maxx Crosby can play, as he's been listed as questionable and a limited participant in practice. Without him, the Raiders may very well put up their third scoreless game of the season.

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