Texans vs. Raiders: Score and Twitter Reaction for Monday Night Football

Legitimate Super Bowl contenders win with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, and that is exactly what the Oakland Raiders did on Monday at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Oakland outscored the Houston Texans 14-3 in the final quarter to earn a 27-20 win in comeback fashion. It was the Raiders' fourth consecutive victory, and they moved to 8-2 and a game ahead of the 7-3 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-3 Denver Broncos in the loaded AFC West.

Houston dropped to 6-4 but is still in first place in the AFC South.

The Raiders' fourth-quarter burst was even more impressive factoring in the location. Cindy Boren of the Washington Post said Estadio Azteca's elevation of 7,280 feet above sea level is 2,000 feet higher than Denver, but Derek Carr didn't look tired with late touchdown passes to Jamize Olawale and Amari Cooper.

Carr finished with 295 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception and helped make up for the lack of a rushing attack. Oakland managed just 30 yards on 20 carries, which is one reason it was behind until the late charge from its quarterback.

Houston was far more balanced on the other side. Lamar Miller ran for 104 yards and a score, while Brock Osweiler threw for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Texans would be forgiven if they left Monday's game with a sour taste after a couple of controversial calls cost them. They turned the ball over on downs inside the red zone with less than seven minutes remaining and the game tied on what initially appeared to be a first-down run for Akeem Hunt. 

NFL on ESPN highlighted how close it was:

Houston also had a would-be 60-yard touchdown from DeAndre Hopkins on the opening possession eliminated when the officials called the receiver out of bounds. The Texans couldn't challenge because the play was ruled dead, and Andrew Brandt of ESPN said, "Refs the story again, even internationally."

NFL on ESPN shared the moment in question and broadcaster Jon Gruden's take:

Nick Novak still kicked a field goal on the drive, but the Raiders capitalized on the break and took a 7-3 lead on their second possession. Carr found Jalen Richard for a 17-yard touchdown to cap off a 79-yard march that included a 33-yard pass-interference penalty on Johnathan Joseph. 

The NFL highlighted Richard's ability to break free in the middle of the field:

Things got worse for the Texans when Tyler Ervin muffed the ensuing kickoff and gave Oakland the ball at the Houston 19-yard line. 

Houston's defense bailed him out with a stop at the 1-yard line, which led to a Sebastian Janikowski field goal. Mitch Goldich of Sports Illustrated said, "Janikowski has now scored an NFL point in the United States, United Kingdom and Mexico. Might be first with points in three countries."

The Texans bounced back with a 75-yard touchdown drive on the next possession. Lamar Miller appeared to score before being ruled out at the 1-yard line, but Osweiler hit rookie Braxton Miller two plays later for a score.

It was the Ohio State product's first career touchdown, and the NFL passed along his impressive juke: 

Malcolm Smith picked off Osweiler late in the second quarter, but Houston's defense stopped Oakland on fourth down and went into the halftime locker room tied at 10.

The interception wasn't Osweiler's only concern, as NFL on ESPN captured a fan shining a green laser pointer near the quarterback's eyes:

Houston's defense returned the favor when A.J. Bouye intercepted Carr on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. Carr threw it up for grabs in the face of pressure, and Sarah Barshop of ESPN praised Jadeveon Clowney's overall effort:

The Texans parlayed the turnover into a touchdown when Lamar Miller scored from a yard out. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com said Houston was "dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball."

Oakland responded with a field goal to trim the deficit to 17-13 but missed a touchdown when Michael Crabtree didn't haul in a catchable deep ball. Houston took that 17-13 advantage into the final quarter, and Kevin Patra of NFL.com underscored just how dire things were for the Raiders' running game:

It appeared as if the Texans would open up a two-score lead early in the fourth when they drove inside the red zone, but the Oakland defense earned a stop on 3rd-and-1 and held them to a field goal. 

Andy Glockner of The Cauldron did not agree with Houston coach Bill O'Brien's decision to kick:

That decision proved costly on the next play from scrimmage when Carr found a wide-open Olawale for a 75-yard touchdown. Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle said allowing a touchdown like that to a fullback "defines blown coverage."

The NFL shared the momentum-swinging play:

Houston had another fourth down inside the red zone on the subsequent possession, and O'Brien elected to go for it. It appeared as if Hunt converted, but the officials marked him short a play after marking Lamar Miller short on a questionable third-down spot.

Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune said: "Raiders got a break on that third down spot...and maybe fourth down too. O'Brien will challenge. Should have challenged first one."

The Raiders took full advantage when Carr found Cooper for a 35-yard touchdown. The electrifying receiver put Benardrick McKinney on the ground with his moves after the catch, as the NFL shared:

Oakland's defense came through and forced a Houston punt with just more than three minutes remaining. The punt came on 4th-and-5 from the Houston 44-yard line when the Texans had just one timeout left, which prompted Kevin Clark of The Ringer to say, "What a treat for international fans to get to see some good old-fashioned scared NFL coaching."

It was Houston's last opportunity, as Carr found Richard for a first down before Latavius Murray converted on a fourth down to clinch the win.

What's Next?

The Texans return home to face the San Diego Chargers before a road game against the Green Bay Packers. There is plenty of talent on those two rosters, but they are both 4-6. That means Houston has an opportunity to put some space between itself and the rest of the AFC South.

As for the Raiders, they have two home games against the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills on the immediate docket. Those two opponents are a combined 9-11 and represent critical games for Oakland considering it still has to play road contests against the Chiefs and Broncos. If the AFC West leaders take care of business in the games they should, those division clashes won't be win-or-go-home scenarios.

Postgame Reaction

O’Brien discussed the Hopkins play after the game, per NFL.com:

"

Was Hopkins out of bounds on that play? No. So like, look, I'm not going to sit up here and get fined, I'm just a third-year coach in the NFL. But I think we really got to look at all of those things. You know, we got all of these cameras, and we can't get that right. And I don't think Hopkins was out of bounds ...

"

Clowney pressured the quarterback throughout the contest but "said he didn't care if he played well. All that mattered was the Texans lost a game they should have won," per Smith.

Osweiler said, "I am very proud of our football team and how we battled for four quarters," per the Texans.

The Raiders shared coach Jack Del Rio's postgame comments:

Defensive end Khalil Mack commented on the green laser, per Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group: "Yeah, that was kind of weird. I saw that, and I thought I was in the Twilight Zone."

Carr commented on the atmosphere, per Durkin: "I think the fans were amazing, especially because they were pretty much all Raiders fans."

If he continues to play like he did in the fourth quarter Monday, he will win over even more fans by the postseason.