Winning wasn't necessarily the priority for the Las Vegas Raiders when they stepped onto the field for joint practices against the Houston Texans on Tuesday; getting better was. And it's a good thing that this was the mindset, because the Silver and Black got trounced. But they also got a ton better.
The Raiders got to face a true championship-caliber team in a live setting, one that has been to and won a game in each of the last three postseasons. Unfortunately, it's hard to get that level of competition during a run-of-the-mill training camp practice in Las Vegas. So, these reps are critical.
We highlighted a handful of key matchups to watch for ahead of the joint session, and now, it's time to grade the Raiders on how they fared in them. Keep in mind that these grades are about what they put out there, and not an indictment of the group or writing them off. This is a simple performance grade.
Grading the Raiders' biggest matchups from joint practice with Texans
Fernando Mendoza/Kirk Cousins vs. Texans' secondary
Mendoza earned a lot of praise after Tuesday's practice, even though he was pretty up and down. But he made some really nice throws, had a big play to Brock Bowers and largely avoided disaster, even though he threw one pick-six and had another near interception.
Cousins wasn't much better, as he also threw a pick-six and struggled against the Texans' defense. It sounds like he mainly checked the ball down and didn't turn much into positive yardage, outside of a touchdown to Bowers during the red zone period. Two pick-sixes and one touchdown is bad. Duh.
Grade: D
Raiders' revamped OL vs. Houston's bloodthirsty defensive front
Las Vegas wasn't able to thwart the Houston front very much, as Cousins and Mendoza were under duress all day. Texans reporters noted multiple "would-be" sacks, had the quarterback been hittable, and the offensive line getting pushed into the pocket mucked up the timing and productivity all day.
When it came to run blocking, the Raiders weren't much better. It sounds like Mike Washington Jr. had some success with the 2s, but the Silver and Black were out of luck running the ball against Houston's starters. Between not giving the quarterbacks any time or the running backs any lanes, it was all bad.
Grade: D-
Las Vegas' young CBs vs. Texans' solid WR corps
By all accounts, the Raiders' young defensive backs enjoyed a bounce-back showing on Tuesday. While the tight ends and running backs got loose against the Las Vegas defense in the passing game, very few reports surfaced about the secondary letting the team down.
Zeke Masses reportedly had a few pass breakups, and Jermod McCoy even got to run with the first team and put some nice reps on tape. Treydan Stukes continues to rotate in with the first team more and more, so maybe this group needed a setback so they could have a big comeback.
Grade: B
Ashton Jeanty/Mike Washington Jr. and the run game vs. Houston's elite run D
After dominating the Texans on the ground and through the air last year, it was tough sledding for Jeanty and the first-team offense during joint practice. It sounds like he was a tough cover for Houston's linebackers as a pass-catcher, but the Raiders got nothing done at all rushing-wise.
As we mentioned, Washington Jr. had a big run and made some nice plays with the second team, but the first-team offense has to be weighted quite a bit heavier here. And if Las Vegas can't run against the best, then it messes up the entire offensive flow. That's what happened on Tuesday.
Grade: D+
Raiders' DL against new Texans OL
Surprisingly, Las Vegas' defensive front actually performed a lot better against the Texans' offensive line than it did last week against the Arizona Cardinals. Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye, especially, made plays against both the run and the pass, recording several sacks each. The pressure was way better.
Again, the run defense was poor, so it is difficult to give the Raiders' defensive line too much credit, as they play a key part in that. But they forced CJ Stroud into a handful of bad decisions and got after him a bit, so a purely average grade feels pretty appropriate here.
Grade: C
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