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The Houston Texans took a surprising last-second loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 of preseason action on Thursday night at Reliant Stadium, 22-20. Once again, the result doesn’t matter, but there were plenty of positive takeaways from the game for the Texans. What We Learned From Week 2 of the Houston Texans’ Preseason Houston was up 20-3 at halftime and didn’t score at all in the second half. Whatever really needed to be seen was witnessed early in the game. It was expected that most starters wouldn’t play in the game, and that was the case, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud played the first drive of the game, alongside the starting offensive line and running back Woody Marks. It was a successful drive by the Texans that resulted in a touchdown. Here’s what we learned from Week 2 of the Texans’ preseason that we’ll need to keep an eye on going forward. Offensive Line Set Up While Stroud went 4/6 for 27 yards and made a couple of good throws, that honestly wasn’t the main story of the drive. It was how the offensive line looked and the personnel involved in the first stringers in front of Stroud. The surprising part was that the two big free agent signings of guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Braden Smith were not involved. They both came on the field once Davis Mills and the rest of the second team entered. The Texans’ starting offensive line for this game featured the two recognized names of Ed Ingram at right guard and Aireontae Ersery at left tackle. While rookie first-round pick Keylan Rutledge was expected to be on the first string group, he was actually playing his natural position of left guard instead of center. Free agent signing Evan Brown was the center, and Trent Brown was the right tackle. Teller reportedly hasn’t looked too great during camp, which may have prompted the move for Rutledge to guard, considering how impressive he’s been during camp. Brown, who’s now entering his eighth season in the NFL, has played both guard and center. The right tackle didn’t go to Smith, but to the big 6-foot-8, 380-pound Trent Brown. He played for the Texans last year and has been physically imposing. It seemed like they were creating good running holes while giving Stroud some time. If this combination is the right one, they’ll stick with it as it wasn’t like the Texans broke the bank to get either Teller or Smith. Houston will have to do what’s best for the team. Woody Marks Year 2 Jump David Montgomery will be the starting running back and power runner for the Texans, and that will allow Marks to get back into the role that Houston actually envisioned. Marks can be electric and tough to bring down in the open field. He demonstrated that to full effect with his four carries for 37 yards and a touchdown. It was a 20-yard score from Marks on the opening drive that showed his growth as a runner heading into his second season. He also had one reception for six yards. This can be a great one-two backfield punch. Woody Marks BREAKS TACKLES and scores on the opening drive 😤 LVvsHOU on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Ywps3ZE1do— NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2026 Young Linebackers in Texans Preseason The highlight of the game for the Texans had to be the pick six off No. 1 overall pick and Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza by rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz. This happened on the first drive of the game by Las Vegas, where it looked like Mendoza was leading a great drive before Woodaz jumped the route over the middle and took it back 80 yards to the house. The Texans need more depth at linebacker, and Woodaz, the fourth-round pick out of Clemson in this year’s draft, looks like a lock to make the team and a part of the linebacking core. However, he suffered a broken thumb in the game and underwent surgery on Monday. Woodaz is expected to prepare for the season opener while missing this week, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Woody Marks BREAKS TACKLES and scores on the opening drive 😤 LVvsHOU on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Ywps3ZE1do— NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2026 Additionally, seventh-round pick out of Indiana, Aiden Fisher, also led the team in tackles again (6) for the second straight game. He was valuable for a national title team and could additionally be a great depth player to have in an already-injured linebacker room. Additional Receivers Backup tight end and free agent signing Foster Moreau made his presence felt early and was on the receiving end of a nice pass from Stroud on the first drive. Moreau has been a reliable pass-catching tight end during his career and looks like he can be a good complement to Dalton Schultz. Moreau had two catches for 23 yards. Additionally, Marlin Klein continued to stand out as a rookie tight end, and he was the leading receiver with three catches for 31 yards. Rookie sixth-round wide receiver Lewis Bond has impressed the Texans so far, and he was quite involved in blocking. That’s the kind of effort that will allow him to make the team. More NFL News Do the Bears Have the Blueprint for Caleb Williams to Capture the NFL MVP Award?