Raiders at Texans: Highlights, recap and more

Highlights, key players and recap from the Houston Texans’ 27-14 AFC Wild Card Playoff win over the Oakland Raiders at NRG Stadium on Saturday.

The Houston Texans used a smothering defense and a better-than-anticipated performance from quarterback Brock Osweiler to beat the Oakland Raiders 27-14 and advance in the AFC playoffs.

Osweiler ran for a touchdown and threw for another, as the Texans bossed this Wild Card matchup from the beginning. Lamar Miller also notched a rushing touchdown for Houston, but it was defense that proved decisive.

Specifically, the Texans battered and confused Raiders rookie quarterback Connor Cook. The 2016 fourth-round pick was making his first-ever NFL start. He’ll have easier days in his career after taking three sacks and tossing as many interceptions.

Cook also saw his receivers drop too many passes. Wideout Michael Crabtree was particularly culpable in this area.

Nick Novak’s 50-yard field goal and Miller’s four-yard run staked Houston into a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Then rookie Jalen Richard sparked the Raiders into life with a terrific and historic punt return to help set up Latavius Murray’s 2-yard score.

However, the Texans assumed control after that, with Osweiler finding DeAndre Hopkins from two yards out. The scoring catch came after Novak’s second field goal, this one a 38-yarder.

Osweiler consigned a scoreless third quarter to memory by going over from a yard in the fourth. There was still some life in the Raiders, though, especially when Cook connected with Andre Holmes from the eight.

It was as close as Oakland got though, after Cook’s second and third interceptions, despite the Texans foolishly adopting a passive prevent defense late on.

Final

Houston Texans

27

Las Vegas Raiders

14

Highlights

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/817878600019906560

Three Stars

1. Jadeveon Clowney

Cook barely had a moment to himself in the pocket, thanks largely to Jadeveon Clowney living in the backfield. The top pick in the 2014 draft read and rejected a screen pass in the first quarter, before going one better next time.

Clowney’s tip and pick was the precursor for the Texans’ opening touchdown. It was also the signature play of a highly disruptive performance.

Clowney confused blockers pre-snap and made big stops behind the line. In other words, he delivered the kind of game-wrecking display the Texans hoped to get from a No. 1 overall pick.

2. Whitney Mercilus

As good as Clowney was, Whitney Mercilus may have been better. He took down Cook twice for sacks and spent most of the game in the young quarterback’s grid square.

Like Clowney, Mercilus caused plenty of confusion pre-snap by the way he moved around to target weak blockers. Yet his favorite victim was right tackle Austin Howard, who won’t enjoy watching the film of this one.

Every dominant playmaker needs a bookend to draw some attention away from him. Mercilus is the devastating foil to Clowney’s ballistic brilliance.

3. Brock Osweiler

Usually, I’d dismiss Osweiler as Tim Tebow without the running skills. But credit where it’s due, the player who proved a monumental free-agency bust in the regular season turned on the style in the playoffs.

He only threw for 168 yards, but Osweiler protected the football. Aside from not throwing a pick, the towering QB also spread his passes well, often targeting tight ends on in-breaking routes requiring quick reads and accurate throws.

Doubts will naturally persist regarding big Brock. Yet if he can stay efficient, the Texans have a defense good enough to spark a major upset against the New England Patriots in the next round.