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Texans’ 22-20 Loss to Raiders Reveals Something More Important Than the Score: Houston’s Young Core Is Coming

Article by: B. Keith Crear III

The Houston Texans lost a preseason football game Thursday night, 22-20, to the Las Vegas Raiders. If you're keeping track of August standings, there you go. If you're trying to figure out whether Houston is building a roster capable of surviving a 17-game regular season, however, Thursday offered a much more encouraging answer. C.J. Stroud looked comfortable, Woody Marks looked explosive, and rookies Wade Woodaz and Kayden McDonald gave us another glimpse of just how deep this Texans defense could become.

C.J. Stroud Gives Houston Exactly What It Needed

Stroud's preseason debut didn't require fireworks.

He completed 4 of 6 passes for 27 yards while directing a 10-play, 69-yard touchdown drive on Houston's opening possession.

That's enough for me.

The most important thing was seeing Houston's starting offense move efficiently. Stroud converted third downs with passes to Jared Wayne and Foster Moreau, and the offensive line provided enough room for the running game to establish itself.

Nobody needed Stroud throwing 25 passes in August.

Get him some live reps. Let the revamped offensive line communicate against an unfamiliar defense. Move the football. Score a touchdown.

Mission accomplished.

Woody Marks Makes His Case for More Touches

The highlight of that opening possession belonged to Marks.

The second-year running back totaled 43 yards on five touches during the drive and finished it with a 20-yard touchdown run in which he bounced through multiple Raiders defenders.

Houston's backfield suddenly looks interesting.

Veteran David Montgomery brings the physical, downhill style that has defined much of his career. Marks gives Houston another dimension.

Last season, Marks led the Texans with 703 rushing yards, despite Houston finishing only 22nd in rushing offense.

That's why Thursday matters.

Houston doesn't need to decide between Montgomery and Marks. It needs to figure out how to use both.

If the offensive line improves and Houston can consistently run the football, Stroud won't have to carry the entire offense every Sunday. After the loss of receiver Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL, that balance becomes even more important.

Wade Woodaz Introduces Himself to the NFL

Then came the play of the night.

Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza attempted to connect with running back Mike Washington Jr., but Woodaz jumped the pass and took it 80 yards for a touchdown.

That's not a bad way for a fourth-round linebacker to introduce himself on national television.

Houston selected Woodaz No. 123 overall out of Clemson. At 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at Clemson's pro day. His college résumé included 201 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, 11 passes defensed, three interceptions and four forced fumbles across 51 games.

Those numbers suggested versatility.

Thursday showed it.

Woodaz finished with two tackles in addition to the interception, and his background as a former safety helps explain why he looked so comfortable tracking the football.

Kayden McDonald Adds Another Problem Up Front

Houston's rookie defensive class wasn't finished.

Second-round defensive tackle Kayden McDonald dropped Mendoza for an 11-yard sack, adding another impressive moment for a defensive front that already features Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and Jadeveon Clowney.

Think about that for a second.

Houston rested much of its starting defense, yet Raiders quarterbacks still spent significant stretches dealing with pressure. Mendoza was hit five times, pressured on 37.5% of his dropbacks and sacked once. Las Vegas managed only three first-half points and 141 net yards.

That's depth.

And depth becomes extremely valuable around Thanksgiving.

The Final Score Is the Least Interesting Part

Las Vegas eventually erased a 20-3 halftime deficit. Backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell led a 96-yard game-winning drive, and the Raiders scored on a 1-yard run with 14 seconds remaining. Las Vegas finished with a 400-219 advantage in total offense.

Houston should absolutely evaluate what happened in the second half.

But I'm not losing sleep over it.

August is about finding players.

Houston found a few Thursday.

Higgins Officially Moves to Injured Reserve

The Texans also made the expected roster move Friday, officially placing Higgins on the Reserve/Injured list. The second-year receiver suffered the knee injury during Tuesday's joint practice with Las Vegas.

His absence remains one of Houston's biggest offensive challenges entering the season, making contributions from the running game and young receivers increasingly important.

My Two Pennies

I learned more about the Texans in the first half Thursday than the final score could ever tell me.

Stroud looked comfortable.

Marks looked dangerous.

Woodaz looked like another DeMeco Ryans-type defender.

McDonald showed that Houston's defensive line might continue creating problems even when Anderson and Hunter aren't on the field.

That's a pretty productive preseason night.

The Texans have one exhibition game remaining, Aug. 28 at Carolina, before the regular season begins.

The next step isn't chasing an August victory.

It's figuring out which of these young players Houston can trust when September arrives.

Based on Thursday night, a few rookies are making that decision considerably more difficult — in the best possible way.