Official Texans @ Raiders Game Thread, 10/3/2010
 

The Texans travel to Oakland to do battle with the upstart Raiders this Sunday. The Raiders (1-2) really should be 2-1 as kicker Sebastian Janikowski missed a 32 yd FG at the buzzer in Arizona last Sunday. RB Darren McFadden is looking good in the running game and Oakland's defense seems to be much improved. The Texans look to get back on track after coming off a 27-13 loss to the Cowboys in Houston.

TV = CBS (channel 11 local), 3:05 pm CST

Announcers = Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker

Opening line = Texans by 4
Current line = Texans by 3 to 3.5

Set your DVR's.

Will Bruce Gradkowski look like a Pro Bowler against our secondary? I hope not

I suspect he will. The real question IMO will be "Can we out score them?". Not as easy as it might seem on first blush. They have a very solid defense, so racking up points may not be that easy and we have a defense that makes it easy for the opposition to rack up points. Not a good situation.

Let's SMASH them.

I f'n hate the Raiders, and especially Raider fans.

McClain said that both McFadden and Bush are hurt, so they will probably be throwing a lot more than normal this week.

The game against the Raiders this weekend, will define the character of this team for the near future and maybe futher, if there is a lockout next year. How they come back and show some effort, tenacity, and decent coaching (it stunk last week), is going to be the barometer for the rest of the year. I hope Kubiak comes out of his trance and gets back to work on Schaub. The D-coordinator better get his s**t together with that secondary too. I don't know why this team seems to have these hic-ups every year. Unhappily they ususally last for 3 or 4 games.

And is this supposed to be good news?

nope, not good or bad. just news

Funny how it takes 1 bad game for us to be back on the gus johnson/steve tasker train. Just when I'd thought we'd played our way into non-mute-inducing announcers...

Well, its not exactly a barn burning matchup. The unknown Texans vs the what the hell is Al Davis going to do next Raiders. :rolleyes:

I like Gus. When he's screaming "OH, MY GOODNESS!" when the Texans score, that's a good thing.... ;) I'd rather have this pair than some of the others.... Not a big fan of some of the top crews....

Yeah, I love Gus.

Another Black Hole blackout
 

From PFT:

Another Black Hole blackout
Posted by Mike Florio on October 1, 2010 9:12 AM ET
This week, the Chargers home game against the Cardinals will be blacked out. The Jaguars home game against the Colts won't be blacked out. And the Rams home game against the Seahawks could be blacked out.

Another game that will be blacked out will be played in Oakland, where the Raiders once again have failed to sell all non-premium seats for their game against the Texans.

Per Sean Leahy of USA Today, six games have been blacked out through four weeks. That projects to 25 or 26 blackouts for the year.

ESPN reported a few minutes ago that AJ is going to play today.

I missed last weeks game (out of town), but it looks like Ware had a "field day" which certainly points to the key absense of Duane Brown. And that was of course self-inflicted, not like Brown had an injury that keeps him out for a month. It will be good to have Cushing back soon, but no matter how high-profile and popular he may be here in Houston, I don't really think he's as valuable to the team as our regular LT ?
How bad was Rashad last week and what do Texans fan expect of him this week in Oakland ? Thankfully he won't have to play anyboy like Ware today.

Butler was suprisingly pretty good. The sacks he got were actually coverage sacks. One of three was when (for some reason) Dreesen was trying to block him.

Kubiak's coaching was pretty bad. He kept trying to call that quick slant, I guess to try and slow down the rush. However, the Cowboys adjusted and just dropped into a soft zone. Kubiak never readjusted, which ultimately led to a lot of blank stares on the part of Shaub as he sat in the pocket unaware of what to do next..

To my original point, Butler held up his end of the bargain. We need to go into Oakland with a revamped attitude. I really think Kubiak got the big head in that game. When you are told for two weeks in a row that your offense is so great, you begin to think that no adjustments need to be made. This was never more evident when we ran the ball three times inside the five not to get in the end zone.

Absolutely. There was a lot of blame to go around for last week's debacle but very, very little of it (if any) need be directed at Butler.

But they could be wrong...

Texans inactives
Matt Leinart (No. 3 QB)
WR Andre Johnson
S Eugene Wilson
WR Darryl Sharpton
LB Kevin Bentley
G Kasey Studdard
DE Ryan Denney
TE Garrett Graham

Raiders inactives
Kyle Boller (No. 3 QB)
CB Jeremy Ware
CB Walter McFadden
LB Travis Goethel
LB Ricky Brown
G Robert Gallery
DT John Henderson
WR Chaz Schilens

NFLnetwork just announced that AJ was inactive to confirm Warren's report.

Wow, New Orleans hangs on....

Gametime!

Raiders win toss, Texans to kick off.

Raiders bring the kickoff all the way back into Texan territory at the Texan 38.

Pass to DHB good for about 2. (DHB = Darrius Heyward-Bey)

McFadden for 1. Brings up 3rd and 7.

Smith with the sack! Fumble, but Raiders recover. Raiders have to punt.

Punt is downed at the Texan 10.

Schaub's pass 1st down pass goes inc.

Pass to Dreesen good for 29. 1st down at the Texan 39.

Pass to KW good for 11.

Slaton runs for about 3. Brings up 2nd and 7.

Dump to Slaton picks up 13. 1st down.

Where the hell is Foster?

Whoa, D Ward takes it to the house! 33 yard TD.

Texans 7, Raiders 0

While I, too, am in deep contemplation about the whereabouts of Foster. I am pretty pleased with that first batch of playcalling.

Is Foster on the injury reports...

I don't know. Was he even in on the first two plays?

Well there's the answer...

Denver goes ahead of the Titans..... 1:33 left in that one..

Rackers kickoff is downed in the endzone. Raiders ball at their own 20.

I can't bitch about a TD, but this is another case of Kubes trying to outsmart himself.

Gradkowski's 1st down pass goes inc.

Pre-snap flag - Okoye offsides. 2nd and 5 for the Raiders.

Dump to McFadden goes for big gainer. Ball is at the Texan 33. 43 yards on the play.

Pass to DHB goes inc. - nice breakup by KJ.

McFadden gets about 4 or 5 over the left side. Brings up 3rd and 6.

Pass to Miller gets 10 and the 1st down.

Ford sweeps to the 10 yard line of the Texans. 2nd down and 3 coming up.

Bush runs to the 2. 1st down.

Kubiak to challenge that the runner fumbled into the endzone.

Its pretty clear that every team is gonna come in a go after Kareem. I just hope today it doesn't work. Also why the hell is DBarber playing?

Play stands. Raiders ball 1st and goal at the 2.

Bush punches it in.

Texans 7, Raiders 7

Where is the "reverse angle replay"? The angles they showed had no chance of overturning the replay.

Did our defense make the team flight?

Wilson is injured. Barber and Nolan to alternate...

Slaton downs the kickoff in the endzone. Texans ball at their own 20. 6:14 left in the 1st quarter.

Ward powers for 5. Brings up 2nd and 5.

Ward sweeps right for about 10. 1st down.

Pass to JJ gets 12.

Who would've ever thought that Ward would be doing anything this week?

The Texans are a constant enigma...

Pass to KW goes inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Slaton sweeps right for 7 yards.

On 3rd and 3, JJ slips down and pass goes inc. Texans to punt.

Punt is downed at the 1 yard line of the Raiders.

I love how Stevie's covering up the ball in traffic.

If I were a betting man.........Foster is in the dog house for something. Missed a meeting, late to a meeting, didn't do something.

At least Ward/Slaton is running the ball well so far.