Las Vegas Raiders at Houston Texans

Injuries noted

Las Vegas Raiders: Chris Collier (IR) — Collier (undisclosed) reverted to injured reserve with the Raiders on Sunday, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.; Justin Shorter (IR) — Undisclosed; Corey Rucker (IR) — Undisclosed; Justin Pickett (IR) — Pickett (undisclosed) reverted to injured reserve with the Raiders on Thursday, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

Houston Texans: Tank Dell (Questionable) — Dell (knee) participated in "full-team drills" Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Jake Hansen (Questionable) — Hansen (ankle) is considered week-to-week, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.; E.J. Speed (PUP-P) — Quadriceps; M.J. Stewart (PUP-P) — Quadriceps; British Brooks (Questionable) — Brooks (hand) underwent surgery Wednesday to fix a broken hand, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Brevin Jordan (Questionable) — Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Jordan (knee) is day-to-day, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Jawhar Jordan (Questionable) — Jordan is dealing with a hip flexor strain and will be sidelined for "roughly a week," Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Ja'Marcus Ingram (Questionable) — Ingram suffered a shoulder injury in Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Graham Mertz (Out) — Mertz (knee) suffered a torn ACL during Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Josh Pitsenberger (Questionable) — Pitsenberger will be sidelined for a "couple weeks" due to an ankle injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Collin Wright (Questionable) — Undisclosed

QUARTERBACK

• LV's passing game is +116 yards per game

  116 YPG

  Las Vegas aggressively stretches the field through the air while Houston gets forced into a grind-it-out script. That creates a contrast where Las Vegas dictates a high tempo against a Houston offense that gets stuck in short-yardage ruts. A single-game snapshot heavily magnifies early deep-ball success against one secondary, masking whether this passing divide represents a real operational gap or just one weird matchup script.

• LV averages +1.7 yards every time it drops back

  1.7 Y/A

  LV is at 5.8 yards per pass attempt over 1 game; HOU is at 4.1 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

• C.J. Stroud starts at quarterback for HOU

  7.19 Y/A

  His 2025 season line: 3041 passing yards, 64.5% completions, 7.19 yards per attempt, 19-8 TD-INT over 14 games.

TRENCHES

• HOU's front holds runners to 52 fewer yards per game

  52 YPG

  Houston held up well at the line of scrimmage, keeping opponent ground attacks contained and off-schedule. Las Vegas struggled in the trenches right out of the gate, giving up heavy yardage on the ground and letting their opponent dominate physical drives. Houston's ability to limit chunk plays on the ground keeps them out of chasing game scripts. Las Vegas will have a tough time establishing their physical identity against a Houston front that already proved it can suppress opponent running games.

• LV gets +1.4 more yards a carry

  1.4 Y/C

  LV is at 5.4 yards per rush attempt over 1 game; HOU is at 4 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

PASS RUSH

• HOU's pocket leaks 11 fewer yards per game

  11 YDS

  LV is at 18 sack yards lost per game over 1 game; HOU is at 7 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

PACE & SCRIPT

• LV is scoring +7 points per game

  7 PPG

  LV is at 14 points per game over 1 game; HOU is at 7 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

• HOU holds the ball 2:10 longer per game

  2:10 TOP

  LV is at 25:35 time of possession per game over 1 game; HOU is at 27:45 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

TURNOVERS

• HOU's defense takes the ball away 2 more times per game

  2 TO

  Houston set an aggressive defensive tone in their opener by actively hunting mistakes and flipping possession, while Las Vegas stayed completely empty in the takeaway column. That difference in game script showed Houston pressuring the ball when their opponent was forced into obvious passing scripts, whereas Las Vegas allowed long drives without breaking them up. Las Vegas enters this matchup needing to protect the football against a unit that built its identity around forcing errors. Houston's opportunistic style creates a direct mismatch against a Las Vegas squad that hasn't shown the ability to generate extra possessions.

• LV commits 1 fewer turnovers per game

  1 TO

  LV is at 0 turnovers committed per game over 1 game; HOU is at 1 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

• LV puts 1 fewer fumbles on the ground per game

  1 FUM

  LV is at 0 fumbles lost per game over 1 game; HOU is at 1 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

EXPLOSIVE PLAYS

• LV owns a +1.7 yards-per-play gap

  1.7 Y/P

  Efficient chunk plays let Las Vegas stay ahead of schedule and dictate the game flow on their terms. Houston ends up working uphill on every possession, forced to execute long drives just to move the chains against a team picking up easy gains. A one-game sample can easily twist per-play efficiency with a couple of broken plays or defensive lapses that skew the baseline.

RED ZONE

• LV scores on +16.7% more of its red-zone trips

  16.7%

  LV is at 66.7% red-zone scoring rate over 1 game; HOU is at 50% over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

• LV gets inside the 20 1 more time per game

  1 TRIPS

  LV is at 3 red-zone trips per game over 1 game; HOU is at 2 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

COACHING

• LV's staff goes for it 1 more time per game on fourth down

  1 GOES

  LV is at 3 fourth-down attempts per game over 1 game; HOU is at 2 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

MISMATCH

• LV's passing attack against HOU's — 214 pass yards a game to 98

  214 VS 98

  Las Vegas has a clear path to dictating this game by leaning on an aerial attack that vastly outpaces Houston's output. LV can aggressively challenge Houston through the air early, pushing the pace and building a lead that Houston cannot chase. Houston's only way to hide a passing game that manages just 98 yards is to grind out long possessions and limit total game reps. When Las Vegas establishes its passing rhythm, Houston will be forced into an uncomfortable drop-back script that completely breaks their game plan.

COVERAGE

• LV's secondary gives up 63 fewer passing yards per game

  63 YPG

  Las Vegas kept aerial attacks relatively contained, keeping pass catchers in front of them and limiting downfield shots. Houston took a beating through the air, letting their opponent execute big passing plays across four quarters. That difference comes down to Las Vegas keeping plays in front of them versus Houston getting stretched thin by heavy pass volume. Houston's leaky pass defense gives Las Vegas a distinct edge in keeping aerial setups controlled and manageable.

• LV's defense surrenders 0.9 fewer yards a snap

  0.9 Y/P

  Las Vegas squeezed down play efficiency across the board, making their opponent work through tough down-and-distance scripts. Houston allowed far too much push on every single snap, letting their opponent stay ahead of the chains consistently. That difference in per-play defense shows Las Vegas controlling space while Houston surrendered consistent chunk gains. Las Vegas possesses the efficiency advantage to keep Houston from sustaining efficient offensive drives.

REPLACEMENT

• Graham Mertz (QB) is out for HOU

  OUT

  An OUT designation stemming from a torn ACL means Mertz is completely unavailable for tonight's contest against Las Vegas. The offensive side of the ball absorbs this hit directly, leaving the remaining quarterback room to shoulder every single passing rep. This status locks in his absence with absolute certainty, ending any possibility of him taking the field. Houston will have to lean entirely on its other signal-callers to manage the offense tonight.

• Josh Pitsenberger (RB) is questionable for HOU

  QUESTIONABLE

  With a multi-week timeline attached to his ankle injury, Pitsenberger's questionable status is just a placeholder and guarantees he will not play tonight. The offensive side of the ball takes the impact, forcing Houston's active running backs to share the full load in the backfield. Having a player sidelined for weeks means no last-minute warm-up will get him on the field against Las Vegas. The healthy options on the depth chart will take every carry.

• Tank Dell (WR) is questionable for HOU

  QUESTIONABLE

  Logging full-team drill work earlier in the week means Dell's questionable tag carries a realistic chance of him taking reps tonight against Las Vegas. Houston's offense benefits from having him available to stretch the field, keeping the primary receiving rotation working as intended. This close to kickoff, the status suggests he is far closer to active duty than a scratch. If he plays, it limits the need for deep depth options to absorb unearned targets.

• British Brooks (RB) is questionable for HOU

  QUESTIONABLE

  Undergoing surgery for a broken hand makes a questionable tag completely symbolic, ensuring Brooks sits out tonight against Las Vegas. The offensive backfield feels the strain as Houston loses a body in the running back rotation. At game time, this status means he is not taking contact or taking handoffs. The remaining healthy tailbacks will absorb all the ground work for the offense.

SITUATIONAL

• LV converts third downs at a +19.2% clip

  19.2%

  Converting half their third downs lets Las Vegas hog the football and systematically wear down Houston's defensive unit. Houston's failures on late downs repeatedly send their defense right back onto the field to defend long sequences. Small sample third-down numbers hinge on a tiny handful of high-variance plays that radically swing percentages week to week.

• LV moves the chains 6 more times per game

  6 FD

  LV is at 16 first downs per game over 1 game; HOU is at 10 over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

• LV converts fourth downs at a +33.3% clip

  33.3%

  LV is at 33.3% fourth-down conversion rate over 1 game; HOU is at 0% over 1 game. Those are current-2026 team-game results through 2026-08-19.

• LV (0-1) at HOU (0-1)

  -7 PT GAP

  Both clubs arrive searching for traction after dropping their openers by double digits, but the pressure sits heavier on Houston as they remain on their home field. The Texans already stumbled at home in lopsided fashion, leaving a deep scoring deficit that flatters Las Vegas slightly by comparison. The Raiders head out for their first road test with marginally better numbers, though neither squad carries meaningful momentum into the night. That places Houston in a crucial spot to defend their home floor, while Las Vegas tries to capitalize on a hosting team that struggled out of the gate.

FANTASY USAGE

• Ashton Jeanty: 20.8 opp/g in the 2025 baseline

  20.8 OPP/G

  Ashton Jeanty averaged 20.8 carries plus targets per game across 5 2025 regular-season games. BDL confirms Ashton Jeanty is currently active for LV; this is a labeled prior-season baseline, not current form. LV faces HOU next; this is measured opportunity, not a projection or snap-share estimate.

• Woody Marks: 18.2 opp/g in the 2025 baseline

  18.2 OPP/G

  Woody Marks averaged 18.2 carries plus targets per game across 5 2025 regular-season games. BDL confirms Woody Marks is currently active for HOU; this is a labeled prior-season baseline, not current form. HOU faces LV next; this is measured opportunity, not a projection or snap-share estimate.

• Nico Collins: 7 tgt/g in the 2025 baseline

  7 TGT/G

  Nico Collins averaged 7 targets per game across 5 2025 regular-season games. BDL confirms Nico Collins is currently active for HOU; this is a labeled prior-season baseline, not current form. HOU faces LV next; this is measured opportunity, not a projection or snap-share estimate.