The Raiders dominated the Texans 34-10 in their preseason showdown, with several key players struggling to make an impact.
In a game that saw the Raiders take a 20-3 lead at halftime, it was clear that some players were not living up to expectations. Cody Lindenberg, the Raiders' linebacker, was one such player who struggled against the Texans' starting offense. He was blocked on third-and-one to give up an eight-yard run, and later gave up a five-yard catch on third-and-four.
Lindenberg played the third most snaps among Raiders defenders, but managed just one tackle. Treven Ma'ae, the Raiders' defensive tackle, didn't record a stat in 18 snaps in the game. The pressure was clearly on these two players, who were expected to perform better against the Texans.
Meanwhile, quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a bad game, playing the entire first half. He finished 8/15 for 86 yards and an interception with a 42.6 passer rating. Despite some hopeful glimpses, his play was marred by several poor passes, including one that was rushed due to pressure from the Texans' defense.
The Raiders' starting tackles, Trey Zuhn III and Charles Grant, were also under pressure, particularly in the first half. Zuhn gave up a hit on Mendoza that led to an errant pass, and Grant was beaten on a pressure that contributed to Mendoza's pick six.
On the other hand, wide receiver Malik Benson had a pleasant surprise in the game, leading the team with five targets. However, his play was inconsistent, with four of those targets being incomplete. Quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who drove for a game-winning touchdown against practice squad players in a previous game, struggled in this matchup, completing just five passes to wide receivers for a total of 36 yards.
Kansei Matsuzawa, the Raiders' kicker, had a tough day, missing both extra point attempts he had in the game. This comes after he missed his only field goal attempt last week from 38 yards out.
The Raiders will need to regroup and focus on improving their performance in their next preseason game. With several key players struggling to make an impact, it's clear that the team still has work to do before the regular season begins.
Source: Yahoo Sports