REPORT CARD VS. TEXANS

PASSING OFFENSE
D-minus -- A 28-yard touchdown pass from Josh McCown to Tim Dwight with 1:30 to play is the only thing that prevents a failing grade. McCown was 13-for-28 overall, threw three interceptions and could have had more. He was particularly poor throwing downfield and over the middle. Only Jerry Porter, with four catches for 55 yards, caught more than two passes.

RUSHING OFFENSE
B -- The Raiders got their running game back on track with 153 yards on 33 carries. Newly anointed starter Justin Fargas had 23 rushes for 104 yards, and they were consistent yards. No run was longer than 12 yards. LaMont Jordan continued to struggle with 10 yards on four carries. McCown gained 31 yards on five carries, and was more of a contributor to the running game than the passing game.

PASS DEFENSE
D-plus -- Right cornerback Stanford Routt stumbled in one-on-one coverage with Andre Davis and the result was a 28-yard touchdown that put the game away for the Texans. Journeyman Sage Rosenfels was an efficient 11 of 18 for 181 yards and evaded pressure well enough to avoid being sacked. Free safety Stuart Schweigert had an interception inside the 5-yard line -- his first in 24 games.

RUSH DEFENSE
F -- The Raiders gave up 178 yards on 49 carries, an average of 4.6 per attempt, to a Texans team that came into the game ranked last in yards per carry at 3.2. Ron Dayne, the starter because Ahman Green was out, ran for 122 yards on 21 attempts despite a 2.9 average coming in. The Raiders ranked 30th in the NFL against the run, giving up 152.5 yards per game, and are the only team giving up more than five yards per carry (5.2).

SPECIAL TEAMS
B -- Sebastian Janikowski was one-for-two on field-goal attempts, narrowly missing an NFL record when his 64-yard attempt struck the right upright halfway up. Shane Lechler punted twice for a 52-yard net. Returns continue to be pedestrian. Johnnie Lee Higgins had one punt return for three yards. Out of five kick returns by Dominic Rhodes and Chris Carr, only Carr's 31-yarder was above average. Coverage units continue to be solid. Jay Richardson blocked a 43-yard field-goal attempt by Kris Brown.

COACHING
D-minus -- Lane Kiffin's decision to start McCown after being out since Week 3 was a disaster, as noted by the fans who booed throughout the game. He ordered a 64-yard field-goal try with 1:15 to play in the first half that failed, leading a short-field drive and a 40-yard field goal by Brown. Whatever it is Rob Ryan is doing to try and shore up his run defense isn't working. The Raiders continue to get worse in that area, with runners finding little or no resistance on the second level.

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