3 Takeaways from Raiders' Week 7 Win vs. Texans
A week off and a favorable matchup against a struggling team were just what the Las Vegas Raiders needed to get their season back on track. Because on Sunday, they looked much more like the team that many expected them to be coming into the 2022 campaign.
Fresh off their bye, the Raiders pulled away late for a 38-20 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas improved to 2-4, as its only previous win came in a home matchup vs. the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
The Texans made it a competitive game, and they even had a 20-17 lead after three quarters. However, the Raiders scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth to come out on top.
Here are three takeaways from Las Vegas' Week 7 victory.
Jacobs Can't Be Stopped, Runs Wild Yet Again
Through his first three games of the season, Josh Jacobs had no touchdowns and hadn't rushed for more than 69 yards in a week. His past three games have gone much differently. In fact, it's been the best three-game stretch of Jacobs' four-year NFL career.
Jacobs has run for more than 100 yards in three straight contests for the first time. Not only that, but he's had more than 150 total yards in each of those games and scored six total touchdowns over that span, half of them coming on Sunday afternoon.
In the victory vs. the Texans, Jacobs had 20 carries for 143 yards and three second-half TDs. Two of them came in the fourth quarter, including a 7-yard scoring run with 13 minutes and 32 seconds to go that put the Raiders ahead for good.
"He makes our job easier with the way he's running it and I love to see it," Las Vegas center Andre James said, per Levi Edwards of the team's official site. "It's awesome, shoutout to him—he's killing it."
The Raiders have plenty of playmakers on offense, and their passing attack can put up big numbers. But when Jacobs is running the ball like this, it takes the unit to another level. And with how consistently strong he's been of late, he may not slow down anytime soon.
The Defense Came Up Big in Crunch Time
It wasn't a great all-around showing for Las Vegas' defense on Sunday. Houston racked up 404 total yards of offense, with Davis Mills airing it out for 302 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. The Texans also scored points on four of their first six possessions.
However, when the Raiders' defense needed to get big stops, they did just that. After Las Vegas took the lead early in the fourth, Houston went three-and-out and punted on the following drive. Then on its next possession, Mills was intercepted by safety Duron Harmon, who returned it 73 yards for a TD that put the Raiders up 38-20.
“There’s always going to be a point in the game where you can put somebody away, or you can give them life,” Harmon said, per W.G. Ramirez of the Associated Press. “That’s what we were talking about, let’s put them away.”
When the Texans got the ball back trailing by 18 points, they drove 66 yards on 11 plays before turning the ball over on downs at the Raiders' 14-yard line. Las Vegas then ran out the final 1:11 to seal the victory.
So even if the Raiders' defense had some tough moments earlier in the day, their final showings were encouraging and could give the unit momentum heading into future weeks.
This Could Be the Start of a Roll for the Raiders
The Raiders haven't had a winning streak during their 2-4 start to the season. But after Sunday's victory, they could be poised to go on a roll, as they have several more favorable matchups looming in the near future.
Each of Las Vegas' next four games is against a team with either a losing or .500 record: the New Orleans Saints (2-5), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5), the Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1) and the Denver Broncos (2-5). However, the Raiders will be on the road for four of the next five weeks, with the Nov. 13 matchup vs. the Colts being the only one at home over that stretch.
Still, Las Vegas will be favored to win most (if not all) of those upcoming contests. And if it can build off the positives from Sunday and correct some of its remaining issues, the team's season could start to turn the other way.
“The biggest thing for me is I want to get in the playoffs,” Jacobs said, per Ramirez. “I want to go on a run and actually ... experience that. I think we have a special group of guys that when we’re all clicking offensively and defensively, we’re a scary team.”
If the Raiders are going to reach the postseason for the second straight year, then they'll need to start stringing some wins together. This upcoming stretch should give them an opportunity to get rolling.