Monday afternoon, the Las Vegas Raiders boarded a plane headed for Houston, Texas. Setting the stage for a joint practice Tuesday with the Texans before the Week 2 preseason contest on Thursday.
Texans are premium grade-A beef
Fresh off a 27- 14 Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Raiders have had an opportunity to watch film and make corrections. The Houston Texans are in another class in terms of capabilities and roster. If iron sharpens iron, then practicing with the AFC South runner-ups should be an absolute blessing.
The Texans finished 12-5 and were a playoff team in 2025, relying on the second-best defense in the league. A stingy, hard-hitting unit that finished second in points allowed, third in takeaways, fourth in interceptions, fourth in run defense, tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns, seventh in sacks, and ninth-least in passing touchdowns.
On offense, the Texans are better than in 2025. Quarterback CJ Stroud has a healthy Tank Dell to throw the ball to, along with pairing David Montgomery with Jo’Quavious Marks to anchor the ground game. The Texans, much like the Cardinals, have big, fast, and physical wide receivers to battle. Upgrading their offensive line is what they hope will be the final piece to help them get over the hump.
If iron sharpens iron, then these joint practices will serve a multifold benefit. Helping to better the Raiders as a whole then providing a clearer understanding of their potential standing.
Improvement vs exposure
As a whole, the Raiders offensive line had a fairly solid showing in its first preseason action. It has yet to face a challenging pass rush quite like Houston’s, as its own defensive line isn’t as heavily decorated, if at all. While practicing against Maxx Crosby may be a war of attrition, facing Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter will place the tackles in the crucible with every rep.
Shaking free of coverage was incredibly difficult for a majority of the Raiders’ receivers against the Cardinals. The Texans’ secondary is superior in nearly every way and offers an even stiffer challenge to Raiders pass catchers. Will players be able to recognize and correct their mistakes in real time?
Will the Raiders’ defense be able to muster up not only pressure but critical stops on third down? Nobody wants to see the entire Texans quarterback depth chart complete every pass in the first half again. Fans certainly don’t want any more cornerbacks getting “welcomed to the NFL rookie” into giving up touchdowns. In this league, the fight for the ball is savage.
Joint practice more important than the game
Practice makes perfect; it also aids the evaluation process for the coaching staff. Both Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza will get a chance to battle for the starting quarterback position against a dominant defense. Both had good showings against the Cardinals and will face stiff competition not only against the Texans but also against each other. Making each rep critical and consistency king.
The offensive line will have multiple opportunities to face premier defenders in every setting imaginable, one-on-ones, double teams, zone blocks and goal-line situations. Allowing us to see just how much improvement the line has or hasn’t made. Multiple bites at the apple will give us a better glimpse of what the Raiders are all about,
In the Week 2 game, it should be the starters playing, typically between a quarter to a half. Will it be enough for players in competition to rotate action on a drive-to-drive basis? Or will the coaching staff be content with the results of joint practice and just play the two’s, three’s, and four’s? Whichever way the staff answers this last question will point towards the potential depth chart heading into Week 1 of the regular season.