It’s hard for NFL fans to get engaged in the preseason because it doesn’t count. Their favorite teams may not be running the most complex plays and keeping everything vanilla. There are still key things each coach and fan should be hoping for from every preseason game.

Tonight the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans will face off at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN. Both teams have different expectations, meaning both fanbases should be looking out for certain things. While one team will win this game, both sides could come out feeling encouraged.

Here are a few things fans of the Texans or Raiders should be on the lookout for tonight.

Las Vegas Raiders

Pass-Rush from anyone besides Maxx Crosby

If there’s one thing for certain, the Raiders have been looking for a proficient pass rusher opposite Maxx Crosby for years now. For the entirety of the Raiders’ first preseason game, the defense accumulated seven total pressures against Arizona’s offense.

There were flashes in rookies Keyron Crawford and Cian Slone, but nothing consistent enough to show promise. With preseason action ramping up, expect to see more reps from players like Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce for Las Vegas. The franchise desperately needs a pass rush to help its young secondary, so fans should be on the lookout for who steps up.

Fernando Mendoza: another solid outing

The former No. 1 overall pick showed promise in his NFL debut, but the Texans boast a different type of challenge. Houston was no doubt the best defense in the NFL last season, and got even better this past offseason. It’s unclear how much the starting unit Fernando Mendoza will go up against in Thursday’s matchup, but the backups are still coached by the same people.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke are excellent at what they do. They’ll have their second unit ready to play when Mendoza eventually checks in after veteran Kirk Cousins.

Mendoza doesn’t have to be a superstar; he just has to show Raiders fans he can stay calm and operate the offense against the NFL’s best.

Efficient run game against the Texans defense

The Raiders’ rushing offense was the worst in the NFL last season. You can look at different metrics, but the key one was EPA/Rush. They were dead last in the NFL, and running back Ashton Jeanty struggled to even get a sliver of space in most outings.

Las Vegas went out and signed Tyler Linderbaum to a massive contract, and it expects the rushing game to improve. With the hiring of head coach Klint Kubiak, it’s possible, and there’s no greater test than the Texans’ defense.

If there was one aspect of the Texans defense that lacked last season, it was the rushing defense. They ranked 10th in EPA/Rush, but they still allowed 93.7 rushing yards a game. Houston improved its rushing defense this offseason by adding Kayden McDonald in the draft and signing Jadeveon Clowney. If the Raiders can look competent against the Texans, that’ll be a win for the fan base.

Houston Texans

Receivers to step up

Houston fans were dealt devastating news this week. Second-year receiver Jayden Higgins will miss the 2026 season due to a torn ACL. It’s a big blow to a Texans offense that needs a good season from quarterback CJ Stroud.

Against Las Vegas, the team will look to see who can step up in Higgins’s absence. Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell and Lewis Bond are the main candidates. Noel and Bond are more of the slot archetypes, with Dell and Hutchinson being those outside weapons.

Dell is the most intriguing player on the list. He went down with a multi-ligament knee injury in 2024, which caused him to miss the entire 2025 season. If he’s able to get back to what he was, the Texans will have enough to fill the void left by Higgins.

Solid Offensive Line Play

The Texans’ offensive line has been criticized for poor play over the years, and for good reason. But when looking at it, they aren’t that bad in terms of pass blocking in 2025. They ranked 14th in the NFL in total pressures given up with 215. The rushing game is a different story. Houston had a team rushing success rate of 35.6 percent, which ranked second-to-last in the NFL (the Raiders were last). There’s a reason Stroud struggled at times in 2025: his offense couldn’t run the ball to save its life.

In the offseason, Houston tried desperately to improve its rushing attack by adding Keylan Rutledge, Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith to the unit. While the Raiders’ rushing defense isn’t stellar, some open holes and continuity are big things Houston fans should watch for.

Defense Dominating the Day

Houston’s defense doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone in the preseason. It’d just be reassuring for fans to know they’re still that dominant. We don’t know how many snaps or series the starters will get, but when they’re out there shutting down the Raiders, it will help Houston fans sleep at night.

Las Vegas has excellence surrounding its offense, but a limited receiver room limits the team’s ability to be a top unit. If Houston can shut down Brock Bowers and Jeanty, it should be an easy day for the starters.