Sports

Fernando Mendoza

Texans vs Raiders live updates: Score, highlights for Fernando Mendoza vs. CJ Stroud

USA TODAY

Updated Aug. 20, 2026, 9:03 p.m. ET

What will Fernando Mendoza have for an encore performance?

The Las Vegas Raiders will again give the keys to the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night vs. the Houston Texans (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), and he has an opportunity to make right in a game that had some notable firsts.

He threw his first NFL touchdown pass to receiver Jack Bech, a second-quarter score that perfectly threaded the needle in the end zone. He also suffered his first NFL loss, and his first football loss since 2024, when he was the quarterback at Cal.

The loss didn’t sit well with the rookie passer.

“Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today,” Mendoza said following the game, “but it’s a growing experience.”

The Texans have loftier goals than just a promising preseason performance from its players. After a season in which its dominant, league-leading defense paved the way for a playoff appearance, Houston is resting most of its defensive starters in the preseason in hopes of keeping their eyes on the ultimate prize.

That might be a relief for the No. 1 overall pick when he takes the field and looks to build on a promising first start under the bright lights of the NFL.

USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Raiders-Texans preseason matchup below. All times are Eastern.

Texans vs Raiders live updates

9:03 pm ET

End of first quarter: Texans up big

Nick Brinkerhoff

Houston is causing problems, not experiencing them. The Texans raced out to a 17-0 lead after 15 minutes, highlighted by pick-six from Fernando Mendoza. The home team is in control and is showing no signs of relinquishing it, even with the backups in the game.

Texans 17, Raiders 0

8:55 pm ET

Who is Klint Kubiak? New Raiders head coach ushers in fresh era

Nick Brinkerhoff

Kubiak is the head coach of the Raiders, who was hired after winning Super Bowl 60 as the Seahawks offensive coordinator. The son of Gary Kubiak, this is the 39-year-old’s first head coaching gig. Kubiak first joined the NFL ranks as an assistant with the Denver Broncos in 2016.

Here’s a look at his stops since entering the NFL:

Denver Broncos (2016-2018): Offensive assistant
Minnesota Vikings (2019-2021)
- Quarterbacks coach (2019-2020)
- Offensive coordinator (2021)
Denver Broncos (2022): Passing game coordinator & quarterbacks coach
San Francisco 49ers (2023): Passing game coordinator
New Orleans Saints (2024): Offensive coordinator
Seattle Seahawks (2025): Offensive coordinator
Las Vegas Raiders (2026): Head coach

8:44 pm ET

Texans-Raiders score update: Ka’imi Fairbairn adds 3

Joe Rivera

A 51-yard field goal from kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn sailed through the uprights to give the Texans a 17-0 lead with time ticking down in the first quarter.

Backup quarterback Davis Mills entered the game for Houston in relief of starter C.J. Stroud.

Texans 17,Raiders 0

8:38 pm ET

C.J. Stroud stats: Texans QB ends night

Joe Rivera

It was only a few drives for the Texans starting quarterback, who exits the game up 14-0. Stroud finished the matchup 4-of-6 passing for 27 yards.

8:36 pm ET

Texans highlights: Wade Woodaz makes a house call with pick-six

Joe Rivera

A 2026 NFL Draft pick made an immediate impact, but he comes from the Texans sideline: Safety Wade Woodaz picked off Fernando Mendoza and made a house call, putting the Texans up two scores early in the preseason matchup.

8:30 pm ET

Texans-Raiders score: Fernando Mendoza throws a TD to the wrong team

Nick Brinkerhoff

Mendoza is already on the board with his first passing touchdown of the night. There’s just one issue – it was a pick-six. Wade Woodaz jumped the pass and took it 80 yards the other way for another Texans touchdown. It ends what was a promising drive for Vegas to open things up.

Texans 14, Raiders 0

8:22 pm ET

Texans-Raiders score: Woody Marks opens the scoring

Nick Brinkerhoff

And just like that, the home team is on the board with an opening drive touchdown. C.J. Stroud and the starting offense march 69 yards in just under five minutes to break the ice. Woody Marks capped it off with a 20-yard rushing score in what was a solid opening series for the home team.

Texans 7,Raiders 0

8:14 pm ET

C.J. Stroud, Texans take the field

Joe Rivera

Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud will get some action tonight, as he takes the field alongside other starters, including running back Woody Marks.

8:06 pm ET

What stood out in Fernando Mendoza’s debut?

Joe Rivera

The Raiders rookie quarterback is still a work in progress, and that’s more than OK. But three things stood out, according to USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz:

Calibrating his internal clock still a work in progress
Climbing out of deep holes could be challenging
No major hiccups with the basics

7:46 pm ET

Raiders record prediction

Joe Rivera

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis has the Raiders bringing up the rear in a tough AFC West. Here’s how he projects it:

“It will likely be a tale of two seasons – the one during which No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza rides the bench, and the one when he’s in the lineup. Presumably. Neither is likely to be pretty, but at least one chapter will be worth watching.”

7:44 pm ET

Texans vs. Raiders prediction

Nick Brinkerhoff

C.J. Stroud is playing minimal snaps. Fernando Mendoza is playing most of the first half. Players are out across the board and it’s just Week 2 of the NFL preseason. In other words, good luck finding any concrete analysis about a game that may or may not feature players that will be on the 53-man roster in a few weeks.

Luckily for us, there is a thread that we can pull and see where it leads. No one will dispute that the Texans are the overall better team, especially on paper. They feature more talent and depth across the board than the upstart Raiders. If nothing else, Stroud’s inclusion in this game should be a boost for Houston in the early going.

The Texans only notched seven points in the preseason opener, which was a game that didn’t include Stroud or Woody Marks.

On the flip side, Mendoza led the Raiders to one scoring drive against the Cardinals in a 27-14 loss against what should be an inferior opponent.

Predicting preseason games in the NFL is not for the faint of heart, where anything can happen. In this case, we like the home team to get a win as Mendoza’s welcome to the NFL takes a step up in class – even without the Texans’ defensive starters playing.

Prediction: Texans 24, Raiders 20

7:34 pm ET

Houston Texans record projection

Joe Rivera

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis has the Texans winning the AFC South with a 12-5 record.

His reasoning:

“A team that customarily starts the NFL playoffs on a wild-card Saturday afternoon has never been a No. 1 seed. The Texans have never even reached the AFC championship game. Could this be the year? Only the Seahawks surrendered fewer points than a Houston defense that was ranked No. 1 overall in 2025. If a David Montgomery-led backfield can take some of the pressure off QB C.J. Stroud, Houston could achieve the kind of complementary football that will make the Texans awfully hard to beat. Four home games and a neutral-site affair in London in the season’s first seven weeks could portend a strong start.”

7:15 pm ET

Raiders vs. Texas: Are Houston’s starters playing?

Nick Brinkerhoff

Some of the Texans starters will play on Thursday night, including C.J. Stroud. The quarterback is expected to play a few series, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

In terms of snap count, the belief is that Stroud, Woody Marks and the first-team offensive line will be in the game for around 20-to-25 snaps.

The defensive starters are expected to be kept out of the game.

Houston participated in joint practices with Vegas ahead of the preseason contest, so plenty of key players got valuable reps during those sessions. Unfortunately for the Texans, it was during one of those practices where the team lost second-year receiver Jayden Higgins to a season-ending torn ACL.

Now the Texans will hope to avoid adding further insult to injury in the second preseason game.

6:29 pm ET