For a young team like the Las Vegas Raiders, the journey out of the NFL's cellar won't be easy. And while Klint Kubiak is doing everything in his power to win right away, he also isn't taking any shortcuts in this rebuild, as he'll lean on several inexperienced players to contribute in the 2026 NFL season.
Although the Silver and Black learned some tremendous lessons in the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, joint practices with the Houston Texans would be another test entirely. This is one of the AFC's premier teams, and probably the league's best defense that the Raiders would be facing.
While it sounds like, overall, Las Vegas got beaten pretty soundly, the day was not without positives, and it was all a learning experience. So, in an effort to maintain some positivity through these growing pains, here are six winners and five losers from joint practice, even if the losers are a bit broader.
Winners and losers from Raiders-Texans joint practices
Winners
1. Fernando Mendoza
Sue me!
Mendoza did throw a pick-six to Jalen Pitre during the red zone period, but he also drew rave reviews from his teammates, the media and Texans players for his performance. He had the play of the day to Brock Bowers, completing one over Pro Bowler Calen Bullock, and several other tight-window throws.
Against the NFL's best defense, that is a win.
2. Raiders' superstars showed up
Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers are expected to carry the torch for the Silver and Black, and they did just that on Tuesday. Bowers was about the only thing working for the Raiders' offense, as he caught the only touchdown for the 1s, which came against Derek Stingley Jr., and he made other big plays.
Crosby made life difficult for the Houston offense, both by being involved in a scuffle with the Texans' offensive line and by getting a number of would-be sacks or blowing up a handful of other plays. Las Vegas needs these two to be at the top of their game, and they were against a true contender.
3. Kwity Paye and the pass rush looked much-improved
Paye, in his return to the AFC South, made his presence known. He had two pressures that could have been sacks if he were allowed to hit the quarterback, and the Texans' offensive line had trouble handling Paye and Crosby off the edge. Las Vegas' pass rush got home several other times as well.
4. Mike Washington Jr. continues to impress
Washington Jr. pretty much played with the 2s on Tuesday, but he broke a long run around the edge and had several other nice runs, including one in which he stiff-armed a Houston defender to score a touchdown. He continues to build on his strong showing last week.
5. Linebackers finally made some plays
Although the run defense was putrid, which falls in part on the linebackers, at least the unit finally made some plays. Quay Walker picked off CJ Stroud on a wheel route, and Cody Lindenberg intercepted Davis Mills as well. Two takeaways are awesome for this group and defense.
6. Young defensive backs had solid bounce-back days
Not only did Zeke Masses have multiple pass break-ups, but Jermod McCoy got some reps with the first-team defense and apparently had a really nice rep on Texans star Nico Collins. Treydan Stukes also continues to get work with the first-team defense as he cross-trains at safety and nickel.
Losers
1. Kirk Cousins
Cousins fared about as well as Mendoza did, throwing a pick-six and getting rattled by pressure, relying mainly on checkdowns and failing to find too many deep completions. He did throw a touchdown pass, but much more should be expected from the seasoned veteran quarterback.
2. Run game
Every reporter noted that Las Vegas failed to run the ball well against the Texans' lethal defensive front. Washington Jr. had some success against the 2s, but it was tough sledding for Kubiak's offense against Houston, and he acknowledged that after practice.
3. Offensive line
If the run game isn't clicking, there's a good chance that the offensive line isn't getting a lot of push. That seemed to be the case on Tuesday, and in addition to that, the Raiders' quarterbacks were under duress all day. Again, they faced an elite unit, and they'll get better. But not a good showing.
4. Run defense
Las Vegas seemingly couldn't run the ball or stop the run in joint practice, as the Texans turned in their best rushing performance of the preseason, according to Houston media. While several players noted that the team is making strides, the Raiders have to put that product on the field. They didn't.
5. The Raiders
In an overall sense, the Silver and Black got trounced by the Texans on Tuesday. And that's okay, as Las Vegas was there to get better, not to win the practice. Houston was there to dominate. In almost every sense of the word, it sounds like they did. But the Raiders will be better for this.
So, are they really losers?
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