How the Raiders Can Halt the Texans' Momentum

Thomas Valentine writes for Pro Football Focus, and he wrote an article breaking down key matchups in every game in Week 16. For the Raiders game against the Texans, Valentine writes about how the most impactful matchup between the two will be the battle between their offensive line and defensive line.

"The Texans are stacked all over the defense, but with edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. (92.0 grade; 2nd) and Danielle Hunter (86.5 grade; 5th) able to pin their ears back and rush either QB Geno Smith (61.2 grade; 36th) or backup QB Kenny Pickett (58.9 grade), they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in Week 16", said Valentine.

Pete Carroll has officially confirmed Geno Smith will be the starter in Week 16, and that's bad news for the Raiders if they were looking to avoid sacks. Smith has a habit of holding on to the ball for way too long, and it leads to unnecessary sacks.

"Anderson and Hunter have combined for 152 pressures and 24 sacks this season, and the Texans’ defense has the third-highest pressure rate (43.4%) and third-highest pass-rush win rate (59.8%). The Raiders’ offensive line is 28th in PFF pass-blocking grade (58.2 grade) and allows the third-highest pressure rate in the league (39.1%) while surrendering 47 sacks, the most in the NFL. The group is not equipped to handle the Texans’ front".

Caleb Rogers inclusion into the offensive line has them playing better, but they're still far away from being able to stop the Texans defensive line. To be fair, very few teams in the NFL have been able to deal with the Texans' pass rush this season.

This isn't a matchup the Raiders have any advantage in. Even with Smith potentially giving their offense a boost, if their offensive line won't hold up, it isn't gonna matter if their receivers get open. That's a big if; the Texans' elite defense extends past their defensive front and into their secondary.

The Raiders offense won't be able to move the ball due to their impressive defense, but they have another way to halt the Texans' momentum. The Texans' offense has come into its own the past couple of weeks, but I'm not entirely convinced they're back to what they were in CJ Stroud's rookie season.

"The Texans’ defense has done a lot of the team’s heavy lifting in 2025. Houston is first in EPA per play allowed and success rate, holding teams to a league-low 16.3 points per game. However, in recent weeks, quarterback C.J. Stroud (70.4 grade; 23rd) and the offense have played better, slotting 10th in EPA per play since Stroud returned to action".

Stroud has been able to bounce back from his injury due to him being able to find his receivers for big plays. That's how their offense has been able to get back into form. Stroud bides his time in their offense with balls placed on the sideline, slowly chipping away down the field until one of his receivers breaks free.

Christian Kirk is questionable for their matchup, so that's one of their top chain-movers that Stroud won't be able to target. As well, their top two running backs are questionable for the game, which means their offense will have to rely even more heavily on those busts in coverage.

If the Raiders defense can stiffen up and stick to the Texans' receivers, they can blanket the field for Stroud and force him to throw the ball into tight coverages. That's something he's capable of, but a full game's worth of attempting throws like that means the Raiders are bound to come up with an interception eventually.

• How the Raiders Can Halt the Texans' Momentum
• Raiders Claim New Defensive Lineman From Waivers
• Why Raiders Are Ready for Sunday's Date with the Texans
• Raiders' Offense Gets Good Injury News Ahead of Week 16
• 1 Matchup to Watch When the Raiders, Texans Face Off