Raiders squander Ashton Jeanty’s big day, fall to Texans

HOUSTON—So close, yet so far for the Las Vegas Raiders.

On Sunday, the Raiders hit their ninth straight loss, albeit in a roller-coaster affair with the Houston Texans 23-21.

Despite the loss, the Raiders have plenty to be encouraged about in a game they were two-touchdown underdogs in. Regardless, they now face the New York Giants next week in a game that will likely be for the first overall pick in April’s draft.

Here is how the game went down for the Raiders.

Playmakers making plays

The Raiders needed big plays from their top stars, and they ended up getting them.

Offensive coordinator Greg Olson has made Brock Bowers an integral part of his scheme, and the tight end proved why that was an excellent decision with a team-high five receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. Running back Ashton Jeanty also enjoyed his best game as a pro, running for 128 yards and a touchdown while making the biggest play of the game with a 60-yard touchdown catch. The Raiders have been waiting for games like this from the players they trust to produce, and they put together great performances against an elite defense.

Defense dominates

Surprisingly, the Raiders defense was the one to control most of the game.

CJ Stroud was thrown off-balance for most of the game, unable to really establish connections with any of his playmakers. The inability to get anything going allowed the Raiders to key in and force the Texans into unfavorable situations all game long. While a few key mistakes made the difference for the Raiders, there are plenty of positives to take away from a game that could have easily been much worse.

Moral victories

The reports of Pete Carroll’s demise after last week’s shutout in Philadelphia appear to have been exaggerated.

Watching this game, the Raiders played with more fire than they had over the past weeks. While the season has not gone as planned for the Raiders, it is clear that Carroll and this team are still fighting. Changes are still coming this offseason as they should, but games like this will go a long way towards ensuring the veteran head coach gets at least another season to clean up the mess.