Texans' Offensive Line Tested in Gritty Win Over Raiders, Injuries Cloud Outlook
HOUSTON - The Texans came away with a hard-fought 23-21 win over the Raiders on Sunday, but it didn’t come without some bruises-both physical and schematic. In a game that tested their depth and flexibility up front, Houston’s offensive line was forced into a midgame shuffle that could have long-term implications.
The most significant blows came in the second half. Rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery exited with a broken bone in his hand, and while the full scope of his recovery is still to be determined, he was quickly ruled out. His absence thrust backup Blake Fisher into action.
Then came another hit-literally. Veteran right tackle Trent Brown suffered a left knee injury in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. After the game, Brown was seen limping in the locker room, casting doubt on his availability heading into a pivotal Week 17 matchup against the Chargers.
With two starters down, the Texans leaned on the versatility of Tytus Howard, who slid from left guard to right tackle-a position he's more than familiar with. Jarrett Patterson stepped in at left guard, and the line held together just enough to finish the job.
“I’ve been preparing for that moment every week,” Howard said postgame. “Even though I’ve been playing guard, I’m always taking tackle reps because I know at any given moment, I gotta go back out there. You never know what’s gonna happen in this league.”
Howard’s preparation paid off. The former first-round pick has started at every position along the line except center, and on Sunday, that experience mattered.
While the Texans walked out of NRG Stadium with their seventh straight win and a 10-5 record, the offense didn’t exactly light it up. They didn’t find the end zone until the second half and leaned heavily on the leg of Ka’imi Fairbairn, who delivered three long-range field goals from 55, 50, and 49 yards.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud had a quiet start but found his rhythm late, leading a pair of key fourth-quarter drives that helped seal the win.
The stat that jumps off the page? Zero sacks allowed-despite facing Maxx Crosby, one of the league’s premier edge rushers.
Crosby did notch one QB hit, and Stroud was hit four times overall, but the reshuffled line held up admirably in pass protection.
The run game, however, was another story.
Aside from a 30-yard burst from Nick Chubb, the Texans struggled to get anything going on the ground. Jawhar Jordan showed flashes of creativity with limited space, finishing with 53 yards on 15 carries. Woody Marks was inactive due to an ankle injury, and his absence was felt.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans didn’t sugarcoat the performance in the trenches.
“We’ve got to get more movement,” Ryans said. “Too many guys in the backfield. We didn’t control the line of scrimmage how we needed to.”
Houston finished with just 83 rushing yards on 26 attempts-a 3.2 yards-per-carry clip. On the other side, the Raiders racked up 128 rushing yards, powered by rookie Ashton Jeanty, who consistently found daylight and kept the Texans’ defense on its heels.
“The main thing is we couldn’t run the football,” Ryans added. “That was the difference in the game.”
Still, the Texans found a way to win. That’s been the theme of their season-resilience, adaptability, and timely execution. But with injuries stacking up on the offensive line and a playoff berth still hanging in the balance, Houston will need to dig even deeper.
The status of Ersery and Brown will be closely monitored this week. Their availability could shape not just Saturday’s game in Los Angeles, but the Texans’ postseason prospects as a whole.
For now, though, Houston stays in the playoff hunt at 10-5, riding a seven-game winning streak and showing once again that this team knows how to finish-even when the path gets bumpy.