[GAME_RECAP]
Houston eked out a 23-21 grinder over Vegas at NRG, and it started spicy. On the Raiders’ first true test, Derek Stingley Jr. jumped a quick out and housed a 31-yard pick-six to light the fuse. Geno Smith steadied the ship, though, orchestrating a crisp march capped by Brock Bowers’ seven-yard snag to even it at 7-7 before halftime tilted toward Houston’s boot.
From there, it was leg day. Ka’imi Fairbairn coolly stepped into bombs from 55, 50, and 49 to keep the Texans nudging in front, while the rush duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter (plus a Derek Barnett drive-killer) kept Vegas behind the sticks. The Raiders punched back with a sizzler—Ashton Jeanty turning a swing into a 60-yard catch-and-run to momentarily flip the third quarter.
The fourth got wobbly in the best way. Nick Chubb ripped a 30-yard burst to jump-start Houston’s go-ahead march, two PI flags shoved the ball to the doorstep, and C.J. Stroud zipped a one-yarder to Dalton Schultz for 23-14. Not done yet, Jeanty hit turbo for a 51-yard house call to pull Vegas within two, but Stroud’s late darts—highlighted by Nico Collins’ clutch 24-yarder—bled the clock to the LV 14 and slammed the door.
Numbers that pop: Stroud: 23/35, 187 yards, 1 TD; Schultz: 5 for 35 and a score; Collins: 4 for 59. For Vegas, Smith: 16/23, 201 yards, 2 TD, and the rookie rocket Jeanty: 24 carries, 128 yards and a TD, plus a 60-yard receiving TD. And don’t sleep on Fairbairn’s season-long heater—he’s been perfect on PATs and nails from deep in 2025, sitting 22-for-22 on XPs and 6-for-10 from 50+, per ESPN. (espn.com)
Big Dill of the Game: Ka’imi Fairbairn — eleven rock-solid points (two from 50+), the steady metronome that made the margin. This is Dillon “Big Dill” Smith for Big Dill Sports — where ballin’ is a big dill. Catch you after the next two-minute drill.
[QUARTER_BREAKDOWN]
| TEAM | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LV | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| HOU | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
[PLAYER_BOXSCORE]
HOU - Passing (1 players)
| Player | Pos | Att | Comp | Yds | TD | INT | FPTS | PPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 35 | 23 | 187 | 1 | - | 11.5 | 11.5 |
LV - Passing (1 players)
| Player | Pos | Att | Comp | Yds | TD | INT | FPTS | PPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith | QB | 23 | 16 | 201 | 2 | 1 | 14.0 | 14.0 |
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