Las Vegas RaidersvsHouston Texans
LV 22/HOU 20
Things to say
The Las Vegas Raiders edged the Houston Texans 22-20 on the road.
01
opener
Texans had this one and let it slip. They're up 20-3 and just stop scoring. Raiders crawl all the way back and steal it 22-20.
02
key player
Aidan O'Connell was steady all night, 15-of-24 for 166 and then punched in the game-winner himself from a yard out. Not flashy, but he closed it.
03
hot take
Houston didn't lose that game, they gave it away. You're up seventeen and you go ice cold? That's coaching taking the foot off the gas.
04
deep cut
Half the Texans' points came off the defense — Wade Woodaz took a pick 80 yards to the house. The offense couldn't move the ball late.
05
exit
It's preseason, so who cares, but Houston's 0-2 and needs to figure out how to finish. On to the next one.
The recap
Houston looked like they had this one wrapped up, riding a Woody Marks touchdown run and Wade Woodaz's 80-yard pick-six to a 20-3 cushion. But the Texans stopped scoring and let Vegas crawl all the way back, chunk by chunk, until Aidan O'Connell punched it in from a yard out with 14 seconds left to steal it 22-20.
What makes it wild is the Raiders missed two extra points along the way and still found a way to win, needing every one of those late points. Houston's defense carried them early and got nothing from the offense down the stretch — that's how a two-score lead turns into an 0-2 gut punch.