HOUSTON — It’s become almost customary in the NFL for head coaches to sit their starters in preseason games when their team and that week’s opponent have already squared off in a joint practice.
After what happened to the Raiders against the Texans on Tuesday, Klint Kubiak might be inclined to break from tradition.
The Raiders’ first-year head coach left the practice field and immediately retreated to the team hotel, where he and his staff put every rep from a difficult afternoon under the microscope.
And there was plenty to examine.
The Texans exposed some weaknesses, reinforced some concerns and gave the Raiders a brutally honest snapshot of where they stand with the regular season approaching. The question now is what Kubiak intends to do with that information.
When asked whether what he saw on film would factor into his decisions about who plays — and who doesn’t — when the teams meet Thursday night at Reliant Stadium, Kubiak didn’t hedge.
“Yes,” he said sternly.
It was only one word, but the message behind it seemed considerably longer: Tuesday may have created some unfinished business for the Raiders.
The offensive line certainly has some.
That group had its hands full dealing with the power and athleticism of a Texans front led by pass-rush demons Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Pass protection was an issue, but so was generating consistent movement in the running game.
“You feel their rush,” Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “They do a good job pursuing and playing fast.”
But the problems extended beyond the line of scrimmage.
The Raiders’ wide receivers struggled to consistently create separation, making life even more difficult for the quarterbacks against a talented Texans secondary built to contest throws, limit explosive plays and make offenses patiently work their way down the field.
“A team like Houston, they do a great job of making you check the ball down and tackle you and force some turnovers,” Kubiak said. “So, it’s hard to get the ball down the field on them.”
One player who managed to break through was tight end Brock Bowers, who hooked up with Cousins on a touchdown during a red-zone period, then provided the Raiders’ highlight of the day when he and Fernando Mendoza connected on a 25-yard reception.
The play was notable on multiple fronts.
The Raiders’ offensive line won its battle up front, giving Mendoza enough time to push the ball downfield. Bowers, meanwhile, was able to execute a cleverly designed route that created the opening Mendoza needed to find him.
For one play, anyway, it was a glimpse of what the Raiders offense can look like when protection, scheme, route execution and quarterback play all come together.
The problem was there weren’t nearly enough of those moments.
“If it’s just one play you’re talking about after practice, that’s probably a concern,” Kubiak said. “You need more.”
Getting more will require the Raiders’ wide receivers to do their part. For too many stretches Tuesday, Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and others struggled to consistently create the space their quarterbacks needed.
That could factor into Kubiak’s decision to play some of his offensive starters Thursday despite the extensive work they already received against the Texans on Tuesday. If the objective of the trip to Houston was to find out where the Raiders stand, there isn’t much sense ignoring what the answer told them.
There may be similar decisions to make on defense.
A young Raiders secondary that could feature three rookies in prominent roles experienced the predictable growing pains that come with inexperience.
Jermod McCoy, Zeke Masses and Treydan Stukes all worked with the top group Tuesday, and while each had encouraging moments, there were also reminders of the learning curve they face. Against a talented Texans offense, mistakes and hesitation were punished more severely than they might be on the Raiders’ own practice field.
In that sense, Tuesday was another day in the classroom.
Thursday’s preseason game represents the next test: How quickly can they process those lessons, make the necessary corrections and put them into practice?
Just as concerning was the Raiders’ interior defensive line’s difficulty slowing Houston’s running game. Too often, the Texans generated movement at the point of attack and allowed their backs to reach the second level cleanly.
It’s an area the Raiders understand still needs work, both in finding a dominant interior presence capable of anchoring against the run and disrupting the passer and in building better depth around him.
The former might have to wait until next offseason.
The latter doesn’t necessarily have to.
Between potential trades and the waiver wire, opportunities to strengthen the position will emerge as other teams begin making roster decisions. That should put some of the Raiders’ current options on notice Thursday night.
For them, the preseason game isn’t simply another evaluation opportunity. It could be an audition to convince the Raiders they don’t need to look elsewhere.
Taken together, Tuesday painted a pretty clear picture.
The Raiders didn’t leave the practice field with one isolated problem to fix. The Texans exposed issues at multiple levels of the roster, precisely the kind of uncomfortable information the Raiders came to Houston hoping to uncover.
They got their answers.
Thursday night might tell us what they intend to do about them.
