Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason kicked off Thursday with the Raiders beating the Texans 22-20, offering clarity on roster battles before the Aug. 30 cut-down deadline. Las Vegas' young secondary remains a concern: second-year corner Darien Porter is still learning after converting from receiver, fourth-round rookie Jermod McCoy hasn't played in over a year due to a knee injury, and fifth-rounder Hezekiah Masses is also developing. Safety Treydan Stukes has the best rookie impact chance but is being brought along slowly. The unit has struggled in coverage through two games, allowing 16 straight completions to Cardinals QBs last week and 11-of-15 passing to Davis Mills Thursday.

Houston's offensive line configuration is unsettled. Starters Thursday were Trent Brown and Aireontae Ersery at tackle, with first-round pick Keylan Rutledge at left guard instead of center. Free-agent signings Braden Smith (two-year, $20 million) and Wyatt Teller (two-year, $16 million) ran with the second unit, raising questions about whether $36 million in offseason investment will sit on the bench Week 1.