Raiders vs. Texans: Breaking Down Oakland's Game Plan

For nearly a month, the Oakland Raiders have struggled to get their offense back on track. Now they face the Houston Texans and the NFL’s top-ranked defense, and coach Dennis Allen isn’t even certain who his starting quarterback will be.

With Terrelle Pryor resting his sprained right knee, rookie Matt McGloin took the majority of reps with Oakland’s starting offense during Wednesday’s practice. Pryor is hopeful of getting back on the field this week, possibly as soon as Thursday, though Allen was non-committal.

If Pryor sits out the game, or if he plays and isn’t at full strength, it could have a big effect on how the Raiders scheme for the Texans. The two quarterbacks have vastly different styles, McGloin’s edge being that he is a more polished pocket passer.

Several other factors will come into play as well. Oakland hasn’t won on the road this season, Houston will be welcoming back head coach Gary Kubiak and it’s looking like the Raiders will once again be without running back Darren McFadden.

Even against the 2-7 Texans, the Raiders’ margin for error is slim.

Here are four things Oakland must do to have a shot at ending its two-game losing streak.

Survive the start

Seeing Kubiak back on the sidelines for the first time since he suffered a mini-stroke on Nov. 3 should provide an emotional lift for the Texans and their fans, which means Reliant Stadium will likely be rocking early on.

The Raiders, who haven’t played well in pressure situations over the past month, have to make sure to keep their poise during the frenzy or the game could get out of hand quickly. It won’t be easy, especially if Houston’s defense gets off to a fast start and gets the crowd going.

The best way to do that, of course, is to get on the board early and often.

If Oakland can keep its emotions in check and put together a few sustained scoring drives in the first quarter, it would go a long way toward silencing the Houston fans. It would also make life much easier for whoever the Raiders’ starting quarterback is.

Protect the quarterback

The Raiders and their patchwork offensive line are on pace to give up an eye-popping 64 sacks, which explains why Pryor has spent so much time trying to scramble out of trouble. Over the past two weeks, Oakland’s quarterback has had only a handful of opportunities to sit back in the pocket and wait for a receiver to get open.

One of the key matchups in the game will be Oakland’s right tackle versus Houston defensive end J.J. Watt. Menelik Watson took the majority of snaps with the starters on Monday, but Tony Pashos has finally been cleared to practice, albeit on a limited basis, and could be back in the lineup on Sunday.

Regardless of who plays, the Raiders have to do a better job of keeping Houston’s defense off the quarterback. Pryor’s mobility has been affected by his knee sprain, and he’s been unable to elude the pressure like he was earlier in the season.

Knock Keenum around early

Since replacing Matt Schaub as Houston’s starting quarterback, Case Keenum has played well for the most part, but he’s also shown a tendency to get rattled. While he has yet to throw an interception, Keenum has been sacked nine times in three games and has also fumbled three times.

Oakland defensive coordinator Jason Tarver called off the dogs in Week 9, when he called few blitzes and instead left the pass rush up to the defensive line. He altered that thinking a bit the following week, but the Raiders still only managed three sacks on New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Like Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles, Keenum can be very effective when not pressured. That goes for any quarterback, for that matter. Oakland has to make sure to get to the Texans quarterback early and knock him around a bit so that he’s uncomfortable in the pocket.

Defensive end Lamarr Houston needs to step up his game. He had three sacks in the first five games but only one since.

Eliminate the foolish mistakes

The Raiders were in prime position to beat the Giants in Week 10, but a false start on a 3rd-and-goal play from the 1-yard line forced Oakland to settle for a field goal rather than punching it into the end zone. That was the difference in the ballgame, as New York won by four points.

A pivotal play, for sure, but not the only foolish mistake made by the Raiders. There were numerous false starts and holding calls that repeatedly put the offense in bad field position.

At one point, it looked as if fullback Marcel Reece wasn’t even sure what play was being called. Left tackle Khalif Barnes, on the other hand, knew the plays, but it didn’t matter because he was too busy picking up holding calls and false-start penalties that repeatedly left the offense in a big hole.

Those types of mistakes are costly and have become a growing concern for Allen and his staff after the team had made so many strides a year ago. If the Raiders are to have a chance this week, the silly and sometimes stupid mistakes have to be corrected.

Stretch the field

Because Pryor has been ineffective throwing the ball deep, defenses have been able to shorten the field and pack defenders closer to the line of scrimmage. That, in turn, has affected Oakland’s ability to run the ball.

Whether Pryor starts or McGloin does, it’s imperative that the Raiders at least take some shots downfield in order to get the defense to back off a little. They don’t necessarily have to be completions (although it wouldn’t hurt), but it would help open the middle of the field and the underneath routes.

Oakland had a little success with the deep ball against San Diego earlier this year, yet over the past month, the long passes have been few and far between.

That pattern has to change, not just for this week, but for the remainder of the season. If not, the Raiders can expect teams to continue to stack the box and load up on the pass rush.

*Any information and quotes used in this and all reports by Michael Wagaman were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.