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Texans 30, Raiders 14
OAKLAND, Calif. — Running back Arian Foster rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for two scores, and the Houston Texans defeated Oakland 30-14 Sunday at the O.co Coliseum, spoiling the Raiders’ home-opener.
The Texans (2-0) built a 17-0 first-half lead and led 27-0 after three quarters before the Raiders (0-2) scored early in the fourth period on running back Darren McFadden’s 1-yard run.
Foster carried 28 times and cracked the 100-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive game. Fitzpatrick, who beat the Raiders in 2011 with the Buffalo Bills and 2013 with the Tennessee Titans, completed 14 of 19 passes for 139 yards with no interceptions. Wide receiver Andre Johnson caught six passes for 74 yards, and wideout DeAndre Hopkins caught three passes for 22 yards and a score.
Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, doubling as a tight end, caught his first career NFL pass, good for a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr, making his first career start at the Coliseum, completed 27 of 42 passes for 263 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Wide receiver James Jones caught nine passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, a 9-yard grab with 13 seconds to play. McFadden gained 37 yards on 12 carries.
Houston won the turnover battle 4-0, recovering two fumbles and intercepting two passes.
The Texans took the opening kick and drove 80 yards on nine plays for a touchdown, Fitzpatrick hitting Watt with 9:37 left in the first quarter. On second-and-4 from the Raiders’ 41, Foster knifed off left tackle and raced 40 yards. Two plays later, Fitzpatrick found Watt, who lined up left and broke wide open behind the Raiders’ defense.
Oakland went three-and-out, and Houston drove 70 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown. Foster scored on a 5-yard run with five seconds left in the period, making it 14-0.
Fitzpatrick hit tight end Garrett Graham with a 26-yard pass on third-and-8 from the Texans’ 47, taking advantage of a mismatch with Raiders linebacker Sio Moore to extend the drive. Then on third-and-6 from the 23, Fitzpatrick threw a 10-yard strike Johnson, who beat Raiders cornerback Tarell Brown.
Early in the second quarter, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson cut in front of tight end Mychal Rivera, intercepted Carr’s pass and returned it 56 yards to the Raiders’ 24. That theft set up Randy Bullock’s 33-yard field goal, increasing Houston’s lead to 17-0 with 10:31 left in the half.
The Raiders nearly caught a huge break late in the first half when Jones caught a 25-yard pass, recovered his own fumble at Houston’s 28 and ran 14 yards. But Jones fumbled again, with cornerback Johnathan Joseph forcing the turnover. Strong safety D.J. Swearinger recovered at the Houston 3.
The Texans capitalized on another Raiders turnover early in the second half, increasing their lead to 24-0 on Fitzpatrick’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins with 8:29 left in the third quarter. Houston’s defense set up that score when Swearinger stripped Rivera and Joseph recovered the fumble and returned it 49 yards to the Raiders’ 21.
Bullock’s 39-yard field goal made it 27-0 with 3:14 remaining in the third quarter.
NOTES: Raiders starting MLB Nick Roach (concussion) was inactive for the second consecutive game. … Raiders starting RB Maurice Jones-Drew (hand) was inactive. … Texans P Shane Lechler played his first game at the O.co Coliseum since leaving the Raiders and signing with Houston last season as a free agent. Lechler played his first 13 NFL seasons with Oakland. … Texans OLB Whitney Mercilus started in place of Jadeveon Clowney, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery earlier in the week and was inactive. … Raiders WR Rod Streater (hip) and LB Sio Moore (ankle) left the game in the third quarter. … Texans SS D.J. Swearinger (elbow) left the game in the fourth quarter.
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