Las Vegas Raiders vs Houston Texans Recap - Preseason Week 2 - 2026

Game Summary: Raiders vs Texans

The Las Vegas Raiders trailed 20-3 at one point in their second preseason game against the Houston Texans. With Aidan O’ Connell at quarterback, the Raiders’ slow start ended with a dramatic late scoring drive to win 22-20.

Fernando Mendoza Started

Fernando Mendoza completed 8 of 15 passes for 86 yards and threw an 80-yard interception returned for a touchdown. He showed flashes, including a stretch in which he completed six consecutive passes, but pressure from the Texans’ second-string defense made things tough for the rookie. It was a game full of ups and downs for Mendoza, typical for a rookie in the NFL.

Mike Washington Making Plays

Rookie running back Mike Washington finished the game with 56 yards on nine carries, including a 33-yard run. Washington has shown nice patience and speed. He will definitely get some playing time and looks to be a big part of Clint Kubiak’s running game in the regular season.

Defense

The biggest issue was the inability to slow down Houston’s offense early in the game. C.J. Stroud needed only one series to lead the Texans to a touchdown, with Houston moving 69 yards before Woody Marks finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. The Raiders’ poor tackling showed up again, and they’ll need to fix it sooner rather than later. The Las Vegas Raiders defense has been soft up the middle, getting gashed by rookie running backs in subsequent weeks

Giving up 17 points in the first quarter put the team in a significant hole. Houston scored a touchdown, produced a pick-six, and added a long field goal before halftime, putting Las Vegas behind 20-3.
The offense deserves credit for completing the comeback, but the defense needs to make sure those big holes do not become a trend. With the regular season approaching, the Raiders need improvement in three areas: run defense, tackling and secondary communication. Thursday’s comeback was encouraging, but the defense’s performance against Houston showed plenty of work remains before Las Vegas is ready for meaningful competitive football.

The Comeback

Aiden O’Connell led the Raiders’ comeback with a 96-yard, game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, helping Las Vegas erase a 20-3 deficit. The comeback could matter for O’Connell personally as the Raiders evaluate their quarterback depth and potentially determine his future heading into the regular season. He finished 15/24 for 166 yards.

The Raiders also got some rushing yards from Dylan Laube (37 yards), Dare Ogunbowale (35 yards), and Roman Hemby (27 yards) during the comeback. The Raiders’ offense ultimately scored 19 unanswered points over the final 20 minutes, turning what looked like a disappointing night into a comeback victory.

Outlook

The 22-20 win does not erase the game’s concerns. The Raiders struggled with penalties, quarterback consistency, and defensive execution. But preseason results are secondary to evaluation, and Las Vegas got valuable information about several players competing for roster spots. Mendoza’s struggles will attract the most attention, but one bad preseason performance shouldn’t overshadow his promising debut. Meanwhile, O’Connell’s late-game performance and Washington’s continued emergence give the Raiders more to consider as roster decisions approach.

Next up is a date with the hated San Francisco 49ers here at the Death Star next Thursday to wrap up the preseason. The Niners, a M.A.S.H. unit again already, looked impressive in a preseason rout over the Los Angeles Chargers. We’ll see if the Raiders can work some of the kinks out in that one.

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