The Raiders' defense put on a show in their 34-10 win over the Texans in Preseason Week 2, with standout individual performances from several players.
The Raiders were down 20-3 at the half, but a strong second half saw them score 31 unanswered points to secure the win. The turnaround was sparked by the defense, which had a stellar performance despite struggling against the Texans' first-team offense.
EDGE Patrick Johnson was a key player in the turnaround, making a tackle for loss on the first play of the second drive. He would go on to make two more run stops for minimal gain in the first half, and then in the third quarter, he flew around the left side to strip sack the QB, giving the Raiders the ball at the Houston 39-yard-line.
RB Mike Washington also had an impressive game, leading out the Raiders' first scoring drive with a nine-yard run followed by picking up the first down. He finished with 74 yards of offense on 11 touches, including a 33-yard run on his first carry.
S Tristin McCollum started the game and had a very good performance, making the first tackle of the game on the opening kickoff. He went on to make six solo tackles, including a team-leading seven total, and showed that he could inspire confidence as the next man up on defense.
DT Fatukasi Folorunso made a strong case to stick around with the team, teaming up for a tackle for loss on the Texans' second drive and having another run stuff for no gain in the second quarter. The Raiders need that kind of production at the nose tackle position.
CB Hezekiah Masses had a bounceback game after a rough outing in the opener, maintaining tight coverage on several plays and forcing incompletion after incompletion. He stopped a catch at one yard and didn't give up another catch.
RB Dylan Laube was the change-up for Washington and had a solid performance, including a 14-yard catch and run on third and six and running it in for a touchdown from four yards out. He figures to make the team based largely on his special teams abilities, but the new staff would also like to see if he can offer an option as a number three running back.
LB Buddy Johnson had one tackle and one assist in on returns and added a tackle on a scramble to stop it at two yards. He did himself more of a favor on special teams in this one.
The Raiders' win over the Texans was a dominant performance, with several players stepping up to make a case for a spot on the team. As the preseason continues, it will be interesting to see which players can maintain their level of performance and make the final cut. The Raiders have one more preseason game left, against the Los Angeles Chargers, before the regular season begins.
Source: Yahoo Sports