No pre-Christmas miracle for Raiders in Houston

You were expecting a Christmas miracle perhaps?

Really?

C’mon.

We’re talking about the Raiders. Ain’t no miracles happening here. Of course, for the majority of Raiders fans, a win wasn’t on their Christmas wish list.

The Silver and Black followed a familiar script Sunday at NRG Stadium. Geno Smith was back at quarterback after missing last week in Philadelphia and while the Raiders were able to run the ball better, the defense allowed enough big plays to help ensure Las Vegas dropped its ninth straight game, this one a 23-21 defeat as the Texans kept pace in the AFC South, a game back of Jacksonville.

At 2-13, the Raiders kept pace themselves — for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They’re tied with the Giants, 16-13 losers Sunday to Minnesota and managed just 13 passing yards against the Vikings. And guess who comes stumbling into Allegiant Stadium next Sunday afternoon? Get ready for the Toilet Bowl — 2-13 New York vs. 2-13 Las Vegas.

“This game was about how hard we would play and how much we love the game,” Pete Carroll said. “Why would a team struggling like that play so hard? But it goes to the love our guys have for each other.”

The return of Smith to the offense produced the usual mixed bag of results. He was 16 for 23 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. And what would a Geno appearance be without an interception and a couple of sacks? His first-quarter, 31-yard pick 6 at the hands of Derek Stingley Jr. helped set the negative tone for the team’s performance.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom however. Smith completed eight straight passes at one point, including a seven-yard touchdown to Brock Bowers. But he would be sacked three times, adding to his NFL-leading total of 52, one more than Tennessee rookie Cam Ward.

Ashton Jeanty, who ran for 128 yards and scored a 51-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, became the third Raiders running back to have multiple 100-yard rushing games in a rookie season. Marcus Allen and Josh Jacobs preceded Jeanty in the accomplishment.  

He also hauled in a 60-yard TD reception in the third quarter to put the Raiders in the lead, 14-13. It was his fifth receiving TD of the season, making him the third rookie running back since the 1970 merger to have five or more receiving TDs in their first season (Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffery, both in 2017 are the others).

“We were all together,” Jeanty said. “We were united. It didn’t end our way but we kept fighting against one of the better teams in the league.”

Carroll said: “I’m so proud of Ashton. It was great to see him have so much space to make plays.”

The defense kept C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense in check for a good portion of the contest. The Texans had just 127 yards total offense in the first half and failed to find the end zone. Houston did score an offensive TD in the fourth quarter aided by three Las Vegas penalties, including a pass interference call on Lonnie Johnson.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough. The Raiders’ struggles continue and while speculation about Carroll’s future with the team increases, the team is still playing hard for him. It may not be enough to keep him on the sidelines but the effort is still there.

They did break out offensively with 315 yards total to Houston’s 270. Jeanty had a big day overall. And after last week’s no-show in Philly, the Raiders came to play against the Texans.

“It was clear we wanted to show who we were,” Carroll said. “This was a great opportunity to do it and I think that’s exactly what we saw today.”