What the Raiders Have To Be Cautious of Against the Texans

The Las Vegas Raiders are facing the Houston Texans in Week 16. What's a matchup that will be integral to this game and something the Raiders have to look out for?

Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White (45) prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

For the duration of this season, the Las Vegas Raiders will be playing games where they are the heavy underdogs. It's hard to bet on a team with two wins this late into the season, and even against a team like the New York Giants, they've shown more life than the Raiders have all of 2025.

It's going to be no different against the Houston Texans, as the Raiders will be on the road against a team that's won six games in a row. They're fighting hard for a playoff spot. How can the Raiders squander their hopes of reaching the postseason?

Matchup To Look Out For

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

The Texans have won based on their defense, giving them numerous chances via takeaways and drowning offensive possessions for the other team. This is bad news for Geno Smith, who will likely start against the Texans after missing a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, their offense has begun to get it going, and CJ Stroud is playing some of the best football of his career. The Raiders' cornerbacks have had a hard time stopping anyone this season, a problem exacerbated by Kyu Blu Kelly being out for the season. They may not be able to stop Stroud and Nico Collins from getting big completions down the field, but they can bottleneck their offense to exclusively rely on their passing game.

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) carries the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Both Woody Marks and Nick Chubb are dealing with injuries leading up to their game against the Raiders, and both are listed as questionable. Jawhar Jordan may have had the best debut he could've asked for against the Arizona Cardinals, but I doubt he catches fire like that again.

That means that if the Raiders can prevent them from running the ball successfully, it'll cause them to hunt for those big chunk plays instead of methodical drives. This is what the Raiders want, as while they're susceptible to allowing those big plays, it also places a lot of pressure on Stroud and his accuracy when asked to win the game.

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams (33) practices before the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Of course, this is all depending on whether the Raiders' linebackers and defensive line can execute this plan properly. Pete Carroll and Patrick Graham should be preparing them defensively this week to stop the run at all costs.

It's not a guarantee that the Raiders come out victorious if they're successful in stopping the run, but it gives them their best chance against one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now.

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