The Raiders left Thursday looking like a team with a long way to go, even after a fourth-quarter push made the final stretch feel a little less bleak.
Las Vegas was buried early, trailing 20-3 at halftime and appearing outmatched well before the third quarter even started. That uneven showing echoed what had already been reported from joint practices, where Houston was viewed as the more talented team. The gap showed up again in the game itself, and the Raiders did not have a position group that truly separated itself.
Interceptions were piling up, and the overall picture was ugly enough to make one thing clear: even though nobody has been calling the Silver and Black playoff material this season, the Texans matchup laid bare just how wide the divide still is between these two franchises.
The receiver room remains a problem area. Tre Tucker is not being treated like an All-Pro, and Jalen Nailor was brought in to be the top option in the group, but that hasn’t happened. General manager John Spytek chose to bet on young, unproven talent instead of bringing in more established help, and that decision has not worked out yet.
Malik Benson, who emerged as the third-best wide receiver in camp, had a rough day when Fernando Mendoza targeted him Thursday. He let an open touchdown chance slip away with a drop, then had another catch hit him in the chest and still couldn’t secure it. Brandon Johnson, a 27-year-old who did not make an NFL roster in 2025, ended up looking like the most reliable pass catcher on the field.
Head coach Klint Kubiak didn’t sugarcoat that reality Friday.
“We have to get a lot better very fast.”
Mendoza is still in the middle of the rookie learning curve, and Thursday served up both the promise and the pain that come with that territory. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner has flashed anticipation and arm strength, but the pick-six was a reminder that Kirk Cousins should open the season as the starter. The former Indiana quarterback is not the kind of athlete who can consistently create outside the pocket, so he has to win from the pocket and stay sharp with his reads.
That becomes a tougher assignment when the offensive line still has question marks and the supporting cast around him is so shaky. For this offense to function, Cousins needs to be the quality starter.
The Raiders’ discipline issues also showed up again. This is a franchise that has carried a long reputation for penalties, and according to a study by InGame.com, the Silver and Black were flagged 1,259 times from 2014 through 2024.
Thursday brought more of the same. Jermod McCoy taunted a wide receiver after locking him up in man coverage, and Las Vegas also got hit for having too many men on the field in the first half.
Those are the kinds of self-inflicted mistakes that separate the best teams from everyone else, and the Raiders are still making them. Kubiak was expected to bring a quick turnaround, but the early signs point in a different direction. If Thursday was any indication, 2026 could easily end up as another losing season, with the ceiling in year one of the Kubiak era looking pretty low.
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