Raiders grades: Fernando Mendoza, offense struggle against Texans backups

**Raiders grades: Fernando Mendoza, offense struggle against Texans backups** HOUSTON — The Las Vegas Raiders secured a 22‑20 victory over the Houston Texans in Thursday night’s preseason contest at Reliant Stadium. **Offense: C‑** Fernando Mendoza’s first preseason start did not unfold as hoped. On his opening offensive drive he threw a pick‑6, and the unit managed only three points while he played the entire first half. Although he displayed a few accurate throws and nearly completed a crucial pass that was knocked loose at the last second, the negatives outweighed the positives. The performance serves as a reminder that, despite his talent and accolades, Mendoza remains a rookie. Aidan O’Connell sparked a second‑half comeback, and backup running back Mike Washington Jr. repeatedly showed flashes that suggest he could earn a role on offense. **Defense: B‑** The Texans opened the game by moving downfield with a lineup that included several starters, notably quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Raiders’ defense, however, settled in and limited Houston’s reserves. Patrick Johnson recorded a sack that was recovered by Las Vegas, Jahfari Harvey notched a sack (which the Texans recovered), and Thomas Booker IV—expected to be a rotational piece—made several impactful plays. The unit still has work to do, but the effort displayed grit, especially after a defensive stop gave the offense the ball back with 1:37 remaining and a chance to win the game. **Special Teams: D‑** Las Vegas produced some solid special‑teams moments, but penalties erased much of that progress. The most glaring error came when Decamerion Richardson downed a punt inside the 5‑yard line despite no Texans players being in the vicinity after he had already stepped out of bounds. The mistake resulted in the ball being spotted at the 20‑yard line, nullifying what would have been a 60‑yard punt. That was one of five costly penalties assessed to the special‑teams unit. Additionally, Kansei Matsuzawa missed two extra‑point attempts, and the Raiders allowed a 19‑yard return late in the game that rescued the Texans’ offense from poor field position. Punter Cole was effective, Matt Gay converted a 52‑yard field goal, and the return game showed promise, but the mistakes must be corrected. **Coaching: C+** Penalties extended beyond special teams. Klint Kubiak’s squad incurred nine penalties for 83 yards, repeatedly placing the Raiders in difficult situations. The team was also flagged for having too many men on the field during the opening defensive drive. Both sides struggled on third‑down conversions. While Kubiak managed the clock well in the final minutes and positioned the offense for a potential win, the performance raises questions about whether he might reconsider his starter plan after the squad appeared fatigued from Tuesday’s practice. Read the full story at Las Vegas Review-Journal →