Raiders Rally From 17 Down! What We Learned vs. Texans

The Las Vegas Raiders showed some serious fight in Preseason Week 2. After falling behind the Houston Texans 20-3 at halftime, the Raiders stormed back with 19 unanswered second-half points to pull off a 22-20 comeback victory. But the final score only tells part of the story. On this episode of Raiders Briefing Room, we break down what we learned from the Raiders’ second preseason game, the latest developments from training camp, and which players are making their case for a spot on the final 53-man roster. Fernando Mendoza faced one of his first major tests of the preseason, including a costly pick-six and pressure from the Houston defense. Meanwhile, Aidan O’Connell responded by helping engineer the comeback and leading a 96-yard game-winning drive. We’re also diving into the Raiders’ offensive line concerns, the battle for touches behind Ashton Jeanty, the wide receiver competition, defensive standouts, roster bubble players, and the biggest winners and losers coming out of Houston. IN THIS EPISODE: • Raiders erase a 17-point deficit to beat Houston 22-20 • Breaking down Fernando Mendoza’s performance • What did we learn about the Raiders’ young quarterback? • Aidan O’Connell leads the comeback • Is AOC locking down a roster spot? • Raiders RB competition behind Ashton Jeanty • Wide receiver roster battle continues • Offensive line depth remains a concern • Raiders defense shuts Houston out in the second half • Training camp risers and fallers • Biggest roster battles heading toward final cuts • What the Raiders need to clean up before the regular season • Looking ahead to the preseason finale against San Francisco Preseason wins and losses don’t matter nearly as much as what happens between the lines. So after two preseason games, are the 2026 Las Vegas Raiders showing signs that this roster is headed in the right direction? Sound off in the comments with your biggest takeaway from Raiders vs. Texans. Subscribe for more Raiders Briefing Room throughout the 2026 season as we bring you Raiders news, analysis, roster breakdowns and everything happening Inside the Shield. RAIDER NATION — THIS IS THE RAIDERS BRIEFING ROOM. #Raiders #RaiderNation #LasVegasRaiders #NFL #RaidersNews #RaidersFootball #NFLPreseason #FernandoMendoza #AidanOConnell #RaidersTrainingCamp