Here is everything you need to know about the Oakland Raiders Wild Card Opponent, the Houston Texans.
The regular season has come and gone, and with it, a new sun has risen on the Silver and Black. Albeit, not the one we expected. Derek Carr circled the wagons this season and took the Oakland Raiders to the playoffs, the promised land.
However, Derek’s injury and subsequent departure begs the question as to whether the Raiders can be prosperous in the new frontier of the postseason. With their sheriff absent, is there yet another that can help the Raiders draw water in this harsh new environment?
For the Raiders, last week was an astounding disappointment. Whilst many echoed support for and belief in Matt McGloin, the fact remains that he looks anything but a suitable backup. With free agency looming, McGloin may have just shot himself in the foot with a dismal performance, going 6-11 for 21 yards before suffering a painful shoulder injury. McGloin looked scared from the get-go, and he wasn’t helped by a subpar running game that failed to reignite the offense’s success against Denver earlier this season.
Defensively, it looked like watching the shells of 11 men play, footballers whose sounds had left their bodies. That may sound very existential, but it was clear how much Derek’s injury as the best player and brightest leader meant to even the defense. Laziness, arm tackles and poor discipline in coverage were strikingly evident.
Oddly enough, the lone bright spot was Connor Cook. Cook was by no means perfect, tossing an interception, fumbling twice and losing one. But looking past that, he was a respectable 14-21 against a stout Broncos defense. Cook threw his first NFL career touchdown pass and the interception came on a play where Cook made the right read, but just put too much mustard on the delivery as it sailed over Rivera’s head.
Cook displayed a velocity on his throws that McGloin lacked, and demonstrated (despite the fumbles) a better sense of pocket awareness than McGloin. Cook for the most part, didn’t look put off by the Broncos (unlike McGloin). His big game college experience (Rose Bowl MVP) no doubt is a great asset for him.
The Raiders don’t have many wagons left. Cook is the last one we can hitch onto.
Our situation is clear. Cook is where the game will hinge. It’s almost as if the whole 53-man roster (bar to his credit, Cook) played with the emotions of Carr’s injury still on their minds. If Cook can play well and give them some confidence from the quarterback position, then the Raiders may well be able to eke out a win in Houston.
As always though, let’s start by examining Houston’s coaching staff:
Head Coach: Bill O’Brien
Offensive Coordinator: George Godsey
Defensive Coordinator: Romeo Crennel
Special Teams Coordinator: Larry Izzo
If you watched Hard Knocks last year, you will already have a good idea of O’Brien as a coach. A tough, blue-collar no nonsense kind of guy. A coach that is indicative of Houston’s defense. A defense, that like him, is tough and in your face. Houston’s offense hasn’t been nearly impressive, in fact, easily the teams Achilles heal. Yet O’Brien displayed some moxie a few weeks ago, benching $72 million guaranteed man Brock Osweiler for backup Tom Savage who played well in the former’s stead.
It’s that type of tough decision making (that brings results) that will endear players to their head man. Having squeaked out a 9-7 record and the AFC South crown, it’s fair to say that pretty much every AFC playoff team hoped that if they couldn’t secure their division, they’d be able to play Houston.
Of course, these teams met earlier this year in Mexico City, with the Raiders outlasting the Texans 27-20. That game of course wasn’t without controversy (spoiler: Hopkins did actually step out of bounds) but with Carr and Tom Savage both out, and questions surrounding Osweiler at every turn, this week’s showdown is a different kettle of fish.
Speaking of, let’s take a look at Houston’s current offense: