The Las Vegas Raiders had an uphill battle on the docket in Week 16 as they traveled to NRG Stadium to take on the 9-5 Houston Texans. Against the league's best defense, and based on how things have been going lately, Raider Nation wasn't confident in the team's chances to keep things close.
Las Vegas did drop its ninth straight game on Sunday, and its 12th in the last 13 weeks. But for the first time since Week 10, the Raiders actually kept things close. In fact, for most of the fan base that is begging to stay atop the draft order, it was too close for comfort.
But Las Vegas still found a way to come up short, as it has all season. Not all losses are created equally, however, and their recent loss to the Texans was the most ideal defeat imaginable because several young players had strong outings, and Geno Smith's mistake was ultimately the difference.
Raiders' young players have strong outings in close loss to Texans
Obviously, the Raiders lost by two points, and Smith's pick-six in the first quarter ended up being pivotal. However, Ashton Jeanty had another coming-out party, and he was the star of the show against the league's best defense.
Jeanty ran 24 times for 128 yards, which is good for 5.3 yards per carry. Included in that was a 51-yard touchdown jaunt, and he also caught one pass for 60 yards, which also went for a score. That means Jeanty had 188 yards of offense and two scores, as well as two plays of 50 or more yards.
Tre Tucker also had a solid showing, running twice for 11 yards and catching four passes for 43 yards. Brock Bowers also chipped in with five catches for 33 yards and a touchdown, and Jack Bech had two catches for 43 yards, including a big 37-yard gain.
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Caleb Rogers held up fairly well against a great Houston front, and Charles Grant also got an opportunity to get his feet wet. Darien Porter had a rough pass interference call, but otherwise, he was great in coverage against one of the league's best wideouts in Nico Collins.
Tonka Hemingway also had a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit, which was his best showing of the season. Tommy Eichenberg continues to see his role expand, and he is making the most of his opportunities.
There are no moral victories in the NFL, but if there ever was one, it was Week 16's game for the Raiders against the Texans. Countless young players performed well for Las Vegas, but a quarterback who shouldn't be here next year spoiled it. The hunt for the No. 1 pick remains. A great Sunday.