The Raiders have a huge Week 7 game against the Texans as they look to avoid a 1-5 start. To preview this game, we caught up with Mark Lane of the Texans Wire to see how Houston has performed after five games this season:
Buy Raiders TicketsHow has the Lovie Smith era gone so far?
It was all positive until the pads were put on for real. The defense tends to tire out by the fourth quarter, which is really a problem every team has to manage; some do it better than others.
The true issue is the offense hasn’t been able to step it up in the fourth quarter. Davis Mills looked better against Jacksonville in Week 5, but he was ineffective the previous weeks in the fourth.
Has Davis Mills progressed since his rookie season?
There is a theory of whether a quarterback is a tractor or a trailer to a team’s success, and Mills has mostly been the latter. It is actually a case of Mills has tried to avoid the blame for being the reason why the team lost.
The problem is the whole sport is designed around the performance of the quarterback. So, he needs to take more chances downfield rather than keep playing it safe, especially with the defense giving it their all.
How are rookies Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre performing in the secondary?
Stingley is doing as well or better than Sauce Gardner, but he is on a struggling team in a lesser market. So, his ability to shutdown receivers or make plays is only known to true film heads.
Pitre is a catalyst in the secondary and is always good for at least one big play a game, which is the playmaking Lovie Smith needs on that level of the defense.
Who is one under-the-radar player to watch in Week 7?
Safety Jonathan Owens, you know, Simone Biles’ fiance. Owens enters Week 7 third in the NFL among defensive backs in total tackles.
The former 2019 undrafted free agent from Missouri Western is finding ways to be around the football and provide run support.
Who wins this game and why?
The Raiders seem to be a talented team with a bad record while Houston is a young squad still amid a rebuild. Mills can be a statue in the pocket, which should give the Raiders’ pass rush a chance to get home.
If Las Vegas plays down to Houston, the Texans have a chance. Given they are at home, Las Vegas prevails 27-10.
