There’s no getting around it: the Las Vegas Raiders are heading into a mismatch for their Week 16 contest against the Houston Texans. The Raiders were two-touchdown underdogs when the gambling lines opened, and Houston’s pass-rush versus Las Vegas’ offensive line is likely a big reason why.
The Texans have the best edge-rush duo in the NFL, as Danielle Hunter enters the weekend tied for fifth in the league with 12 sacks and Will Anderson Jr. is ninth with 10.5. Meanwhile, the Silver and Black’s offensive
tackles have given up the most sacks, as Stone Forsythe (10) has surrendered the most at the position and DJ Glaze (eight) is tied for third, according to Pro Football Focus.
That being said, the 2-12 team is (or at least should be) more concerned about building for the future than winning a game that would only hurt the organization’s odds at receiving the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. With the future in mind, the Raiders could give rookie offensive tackle Charles Grant an opportunity to prove himself on Sunday.
Grant has only received six offensive snaps this season, but Pete Carroll said earlier this week that he’d like to see the third-round pick get more playing time on Sunday. He was on the field for five plays against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, but that was as an extra offensive lineman/jumbo tight end. Also, he has yet to record a snap in pass protection during the regular season.
Lining up against Hunter and Anderson is a tall task for any offensive lineman, let alone one who has almost no experience. So, that would certainly be throwing Grant into the fire, but the Raiders need to get an opportunity to evaluate him before the offseason. And who knows, maybe the William & Mary product surprises people, showing that he’s capable of being a quality edge protector in the league.
So, for this week’s game day discussion on The FEED, we’ll be focusing on who is playing at offensive tackle for the Raiders and how they’re holding up against Hunter and Anderson. The game kicks off at 1:25 p.m. PST and will air on CBS (check your local listings). I look forward to talkin’ some ball with y’all!
