Why Raiders Are Ready for Sunday's Date with the Texans

The Las Vegas Raiders have done all they can to prepare for Sunday's road matchup against the Houston Texans.

Darrell Craig Harris, ON SI

The Las Vegas Raiders have lost 12 of their last 13 games and have somehow taken a step backwards from the team that finished 4-13 last season. The blueprint on how to beat the Raiders has been out since their Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Since then, every team the Raiders have played has essentially replicated that game plan to perfection every week. Las Vegas has been unable to get out of its own way, as its issues are too deeply rooted in an incompetent roster to turn things around this far into the season.

Watch Pete Carroll discuss below.

After facing an upset Philadelphia Eagles team on a three-game losing streak, the Raiders will face a Houston Texans team hungry to keep pace at the top of their division. Las Vegas must come to play. The Raiders cannot sleepwalk against the Texans as they did against the Eagles last Sunday.

Earlier this week, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll noted how difficult a challenge the Texans will pose to the Raiders this Sunday. The Raiders and Texans are two teams and franchises headed in different directions. Carroll knows the Texans' roster will present several problems for the Raiders.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after running the ball for a first down against the Las Vegas Raiders during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"They're really good, first off, and they're playing great. Meco's [DeMeco Ryans] got those guys humming, and it's the style of D that we recognize really clearly. They're doing it really well, and they're really active. They have playmakers at all their spots, particularly the edge guys jump out, but it's guys in the middle of the defense too,” Carroll said. 

“The linebackers and the safeties are really active and really creative and all that. As far as us, we have to get movement on the line of scrimmage. We got to move the inside guys. The edge guys are going to be crashing down the whole time. We've got to make sure that we're doing a good job of keeping them from owning the game, because they do sometimes, but we got to get moving inside and make sure that we can make some space for our guys."

The Raiders do not have nearly as much to play for as the Texans do. The Raiders' focus is on next season, while the Texans are in the thick of the playoff race. Still, Las Vegas' players must show a level of pride that comes with playing for such a storied franchise, regardless of record.

Las Vegas is nearly finished with yet another disappointing season. Hopefully, they will look like a team that cares about the final score on Sunday.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt (58) and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (54) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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