The first-ever Monday Night Football game in Mexico City surely didn't disappoint, as the Oakland Raiders managed to pull out a thrilling 27-20 win over the Houston Texans in the final minutes.
Oakland moves to 8-2 for the first time since 2002 with the win, keeping them in first place in the AFC West. Houston drops to 6-4 with the loss, though they maintain a one-game lead in the AFC South.
The defenses dominated throughout the majority of the game, and they really set the tone in the first quarter. Houston scored the only points of the quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Nick Novak, but that lead didn't last long. The Raiders scored 10 unanswered points to start the second quarter, yet the Texans managed to tie it right before halftime on this 12-yard touchdown pass from Brock Osweiler to Braxton Miller:
It was the first touchdown of Miller's career. Lamar Miller added a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter as Houston took a 17-10 lead, and after trading field goals, led 20-13 in the fourth quarter. They had that lead for all of 13 seconds, however, as Derek Carr found fullback Jamize Olawale for a 75-yard touchdown on the next play:
Houston looked like they were going to respond with a score of their own on the next drive, but turned it over on downs amidst some controversy. It looked as though they had picked up a first down on both third and fourth downs, yet the refs spotted them short each time.
As questionable as that may have been, Oakland took advantage of the opportunity. They went 85 yards in just five plays on the ensuing drive, culminating in this impressive 35-yard touchdown catch from Amari Cooper.
Houston's defense failed to cross midfield after that as Oakland's defense stepped up to preserve the victory.
It was a real fourth-quarter surge that won the game for the Raiders. After totaling just 120 total yards in the first three quarters, Oakland picked up 205 yards in the fourth alone, allowing them to pull off the comeback victory. Carr led the way with 295 passing yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Olawale was the team's leading receiver with 90 yards and that touchdown on just three catches.
Houston's defense played extremely well only allowing 30 rushing yards from the Raiders (on 20 carries), but it ultimately wasn't enough. Miller led the offense with 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, while Osweiler had 243 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Oakland returns home to host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, while Houston will host the San Diego Chargers.
Back to the Las Vegas Raiders Newsfeed