Entering halftime, the Oakland Raiders held a 14-10 lead over the Houston Texans and in every game this season when the team has entered the half with a lead in 2019, they were 3-0.
Unfortunately, the Silver and Black were unable to increase that stat to 4-0, falling to the Texans 27-24. It was a tough way to end the Raiders ridiculous 49-day road stretch, but the team finished their road stint 2-3, beating a pair of tough teams on the road.
Yesterday's matchup saw the return of some notable names, but there were injuries that could be cause for concern; let's break down the Week 8 snap counts.
| Player | Pos. | Offense | Defense | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R Incognito | G | 56 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| K Miller | T | 56 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| T Brown | T | 56 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| G Jackson | G | 56 - 100% | 3 - 10% | |
| D Carr | QB | 56 - 100% | ||
| D Waller | TE | 54 - 96% | ||
| T Williams | WR | 50 - 89% | ||
| A James | T | 46 - 82% | 1 - 3% | |
| H Renfrow | WR | 36 - 64% | ||
| J Jacobs | RB | 31 - 55% | ||
| T Davis | WR | 26 - 46% | 3 - 10% | |
| F Moreau | TE | 22 - 39% | 20 - 67% | |
| Z Jones | WR | 22 - 39% | ||
| J Richard | RB | 17 - 30% | ||
| R Hudson | C | 10 - 18% | ||
| D Washington | RB | 9 - 16% | 6 - 20% | |
| A Ingold | FB | 7 - 12% | 13 - 43% | |
| D Carrier | TE | 6 - 11% | 25 - 83% | |
| N Morrow | LB | 83 - 100% | 11 - 37% | |
| K Joseph | SS | 83 - 100% | 10 - 33% | |
| D Worley | CB | 83 - 100% | 5 - 17% | |
| T Whitehead | LB | 83 - 100% | 4 - 13% | |
| E Harris | SS | 81 - 98% | 12 - 40% | |
| L Joyner | FS | 77 - 93% | ||
| M Crosby | DE | 74 - 89% | 10 - 33% | |
| J Hankins | DT | 63 - 76% | 5 - 17% | |
| T Mullen | CB | 62 - 75% | 6 - 20% | |
| C Ferrell | DE | 52 - 63% | ||
| P Hall | DT | 49 - 59% | ||
| M Hurst | DT | 31 - 37% | 5 - 17% | |
| A Key | DE | 28 - 34% | 5 - 17% | |
| B Mayowa | DE | 28 - 34% | ||
| N Lawson | CB | 25 - 30% | ||
| J Mauro | DE | 5 - 6% | ||
| K Wilber | LB | 3 - 4% | 26 - 87% | |
| C Riley | FS | 2 - 2% | 15 - 50% | |
| K Nixon | CB | 1 - 1% | 18 - 60% | |
| J Phillips | LB | 21 - 70% | ||
| D Leavitt | SS | 19 - 63% | ||
| D Harris | WR | 13 - 43% | ||
| A Cole | P | 10 - 33% | ||
| T Sieg | LS | 10 - 33% | ||
| D Carlson | K | 9 - 30% | ||
| D Good | G | 4 - 13% | ||
| D Sharpe | T | 4 - 13% |
Offense
Andre James fills in for Hudson – The Raiders were looking forward to the moment their offensive line would be at full strength for the first time this season. Gabe Jackson suffered a knee injury to start the year, Richie Incognito served a two-game suspension and Trent Brown dealt with a lingering knee issue the last couple weeks. For nine minutes, the entire unit was together, until Rodney Hudson got hurt. The Pro Bowl center left the field and was carted off to the locker room – there are no specifics on his injury at this time. In place of Hudson, rookie Andre James stepped in and played 82 percent (46) of the snaps. Even with a rookie snapping, the Raiders offensive line didn't allow a sack to Derek Carr. Hopefully Hudson's injury isn't serious, but James played well in his stead.
DeAndré Washington and Jalen Richard see some run – Washington, who grew up roughly 20 minutes from NRG Stadium, had been looking forward to his return to his hometown. With Josh Jacobs still a little banged up, Washington got some early touches, carrying the ball five times for 23 yards, and adding one reception for four yards. Lately, Washington has been the first option when Jacobs comes out of the game, averaging 3.7 yards per carry; however, Richard out-snapped him this game. Washington finished with nine snaps (16 percent) and Richard played 17 snaps (30 percent). Jacobs is the feature back, but Coach Gruden wants to continue getting the duo of Washington and Richard involved.
Tyrell Williams has a big second half – Coming off a lingering foot injury and missing the past two games, no one knew what to expect from Williams, but he appeared to be at full strength. The dynamic wide receiver played 50 snaps (89 percent) and contributed in a big way. He may have been quiet in the first half, but Williams led all Raiders receivers with 91 yards on three receptions, and found the end zone. The offense is noticeably better when Williams is on the field and even though the team lost it was good to see him up to his old ways.
Defense
Tahir Whitehead fills the stat sheet – There are few players in the NFL that are as reliable as Whitehead. Week-in and week-out, the former Temple Owl does what's asked of him and then some. Once again, he played every snap (83) and led all players with 11 total tackles. In the absence of Vontaze Burfict, Whitehead has stepped up as a leader and orchestrated Paul Guenther's defense well.
Arden Key tracks down Watson in his return – Arden Key is among the many players who have been hampered by injuries the last couple weeks, but against the Texans he got home for his first sack of the season. Key played in 28 snaps (34 percent) and finished his afternoon with the sack, two tackles, and one tackle for loss. In limited action, the former LSU Tiger helped energize the defensive line, but the coaching staff still wants to see some growth.
Maxx Crosby leads all rookies Sunday – Truthfully, I wasn't sure what the Raiders were getting when they drafted Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but now it's obvious that he's a playmaker. Whether it's getting after the quarterback, tracking down the ball carrier, or swatting passes at the line of scrimmage, he does it all. Crosby played 74 snaps (89 percent) Sunday, which was 12 more than the next closest rookie, Trayvon Mullen. Crosby's production has been a bright spot this season and a sign of big things to come.
