Raiders vs. Texans: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2017 NFL Playoffs

The Houston Texans earned their first playoff victory since 2012 with a 27-14 win over the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Wild Card Round on Saturday.  

Both offenses were under the microscope coming into the game, particularly at quarterback. The Texans were starting Brock Osweiler for the first time since benching him in Week 15, while the Raiders gave Connor Cook his first NFL start with Matt McGloin suffering a shoulder injury in Week 17. 

McGloin was active as the Raiders backup for Saturday's game. Derek Carr, who was an MVP candidate before breaking his fibula in Week 16, was not in Houston for the contest.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Carr was watching at his home in Dublin, California. 

The Texans got an encouraging performance from Osweiler, as he went 14-of-25 for 168 yards and two touchdowns (one rushing). He even flashed some of the potential that led to his receiving a big contract in the offseason with this tremendous throw to DeAndre Hopkins late in the first half:

Hopkins would close out that drive with a two-yard touchdown catch to help give the Texans a 20-7 lead at halftime. 

Per ESPN Stats & Info, the Texans have been unstoppable with a halftime lead during head coach Bill O'Brien's tenure:

While Osweiler drew all the attention coming into the game, the Texans defense seemed to go unnoticed in the buildup. The unit led the NFL in yards allowed (301.3 per game), ranked second in pass yards allowed (201.6 per game) and finished 11th in points allowed (20.5 per game). 

Saturday was an excellent reminder of what Houston's defense is capable of, especially Jadeveon Clowney. The top draft pick in 2014 missed last year's playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs but made his presence felt against the Raiders. 

Clowney made a terrific read on this screen pass from Cook in the first quarter to grab the interception that set up Houston's first touchdown:

This has been the breakout season everyone was waiting for from Clowney, who set a career high in sacks (six) during the regular season.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller also took a glimpse into the future of what Texans opponents have to look forward to in 2017:

Clowney wasn't the only star for the Texans defense, as their sack leader, Whitney Mercilus (7.5), got in on the action:

The Raiders' worst fears were realized with Cook under center. He and the team were put in an impossible situation that neither was expecting, but head coach Jack Del Rio and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave never found an effective game plan. 

Yahoo Sports summed up the Raiders' day:

Per NFL Research, Cook took a dubious place in the league record books for his performance in the first half:

Unfortunately for Cook, he couldn't engineer a miracle second-half comeback like Russell Wilson did. The rookie finished 18-of-45 for 161 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He was also playing behind an offensive line that was missing star left tackle Donald Penn (knee). 

There was a moment at the end of the first quarter when the Raiders appeared to find a formula for success. 

Oakland's best chance to win was going to be riding the legs of Latavius Murray and getting great field position from its special teams. Jalen Richard returned a punt 37 yards to Houston's 38-yard line. Murray gained 31 yards on the ensuing drive, finding the end zone to help cut Houston's lead to 10-7. 

That would be the best it got for the Raiders, though they did try to claw their way back in the fourth quarter on Andre Holmes' touchdown catch to cut the gap to 27-14 with just over eight minutes left. Their Big Three of Murray, Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper combined for 94 yards on 18 touches. 

Cooper missed one of the Raiders' few golden opportunities in the second half when he dropped the best pass Cook threw all day, with Mike Tunison capturing a still image of the play complete with a snarky caption:

The Raiders used to be one of the NFL's biggest laughingstocks, but this is a bitter end to what was a return to glory for the franchise. They overachieved relative to expectations, though their future is shining bright with Carr's return in 2017. 

With the Denver Broncos facing an uncertain future due to their issues at quarterback, the Raiders will be right back in the mix with the Chiefs for the AFC West crown. 

The Texans look to the divisional round next weekend. They will face a much better quarterback, whether they end up playing the New England Patriots and Tom Brady or the Kansas City Chiefs and Alex Smith. 

Per Andrew Perloff of Sports Illustrated, the Texans will likely be rooting for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers to avoid a trip to New England:

The Texans defeated the Chiefs 19-12 in Week 2, though that game was in Houston. The Texans went just 2-6 on the road during the regular season, so O'Brien and his staff have their work cut out for them to keep this team playing deep into January. 

Postgame Reaction

The Raiders were not pleased with the way their season ended. 

Per NFL Network's James Palmer, Murray said the team "didn't need these two games to prove how valuable [Carr] is."

The quarterback position was the clear talking point for Oakland after the game. Del Rio admitted the coaching staff thought about replacing Cook in the second half but determined other areas were also struggling, per Palmer. 

On the other side, O'Brien confirmed the Texans will stick with Osweiler in the divisional round, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Osweiler was happy about what Saturday's performance meant for the team. 

"It means a lot, but more importantly, it means a lot to this football team," he said, per the Texans' official Twitter account.

Clowney is not lacking for confidence regardless of who the Texans end up playing next weekend. 

"I don't care who we play," he said, per the Texans' official Twitter account. "We are going to play at a high level."