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The Silver and Black arrived on Monday night and took the field on Tuesday morning to face off with your Texans in the first joint practice of the 2026 season. Here are my Harris Hits from the day spent on the grass at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
Yours truly spent the day on field one watching the Texans offense the entire day and it was a good one, a really good one overall for the offensive units. The day ended with two interceptions during two minute situations, but that was about the only real "bad-ness" to the day for the offense. QB C.J. Stroud and company went out and executed about as well as I can remember. That's two stellar days for the Texans offense in back-to-back true practice days.
Stroud Starts With Three Straight Completions
In the first team drill, the first Texans v. Raiders action, Stroud started with three straight completions. He hit WR Xavier Hutchinson on a play action pass as Stroud SOLD the DL one way and then hit Hutch the other for a solid completion to start the day. He then connected with TE Dalton Schultz in the right flat before doing it again on a crosser to Schultz for his third straight completion.
The Story of the Day Was David Montgomery
The story to me on the day, though, was RB David Montgomery. During training camp, he's not had a real chance to show all that he can do, as the team/coaching staff wants to limit his touches to keep him healthy and such. Today, though, he cut through the interior chaos in the Raiders defense about as well as I can remember any RB doing in a Texans jersey. Regardless of the scheme, he hammered into the LOS, often with plenty of room to run. And, when he saw an opening, he hit the damn gas. Just after the first three completions, D Mo hit a seam on the inside and burst to the 2nd/3rd level untouched. Beautifully blocked for an impressively burst-y run.
57 on 98: Blake Fisher Takes On Maxx Crosby
I wrote "57 on 98 - doing a good job" probably three or four times. 57 is Texans T Blake Fisher who carried a lot of the responsibility of blocking #98 All-Pro Superstar DE Maxx Crosby. There was a run later in practice where Crosby anticipated a run and darted into the B gap, trying to beat Blake to the spot. But, Blake washed Maxx all the way down the LOS, opening a run to the outside for Montgomery.
RB Woody Marks had a wonderful day as well and he found success bouncing a run behind Fisher and company on his first rep.
A few plays later, QB Davis Mills came into the practice and ran a bootleg, finding WR Justin Watson WIDE ACRE OPEN for a significant gain.
Two plays later, all that stood between a Texans big play and nothing was holding on to the football. Mills found rookie WR Lewis Bond for what was going to be a big catch-and-run on the slant…but Lewis couldn't hang on to the ball. I haven't seen him do that at all in camp but it felt like it gave him a jolt because he had a great rest of practice.
On the next play, RB Noah Whittington bounced a run outside as the Raiders' defenders were all looking inside for the ball. He and Raiders CB Decamerion Richardson had a little collision near the sideline that could be heard 25 yards away.
ALL DAY! The Offensive Line Gave the QBs Time to Throw
The other thing that I wrote in my notebook today a number of times was "ALL DAY!" as in these Texans QBs had all day to throw the ball. The OL pass protection was excellent throughout most of the day. On the first play of the second team period, Stroud, with "ALL DAY!" to throw found Hutchinson wide open on the shallow crosser.
On the very next play, T Trent Brown did such a smart thing against Maxx Crosby. He essentially let Crosby run up the field to stop the run. Then, Trent wheeled and pinned Crosby upfield and there was a huge gap in the middle of the formation for Montgomery who reeled off about 20 yards, nearly untouched.
Two plays later on third down, again, with "ALL DAY!" in the pocket, Stroud zipped a fastball to WR Jayden Higgins for another chunk gain through the air.
Bond got back into the action with a sweet catch on a throw from Mills. The Texans QB threw that ball to a spot and Bond went and got it for a strong pitch and catch.
On the next play, the OL created a gaping hole for Whittington who burst through for a big first down.
Montgomery's Vision and a Nico Collins Grab
Once the two teams got into the third team period, Montgomery struck again. He hit a run, cut it back and then again away from all of the trash inside. I don't know how he consistently sees those open lanes, but his vision was "excellent" as I noted on that run.
The next play was a little bit of a weird one as both WR Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins were nearly in the same spot on the field…and both wide open. Stroud's throw was corralled by Collins for a 15+ yard connection.
After a free blitzer got to C.J. for a sack, the Texans fourth year QB drilled a slant route to Higgins for a pretty catch-and-run situation.
A few plays later, Nico caught two in a row from Stroud. The first of that pair was a quick strike to Nico that he turned into a strong gain on the ground. The second may not have looked the prettiest, but Stroud was able to beat the blitz and get the ball out of his hands to give his Pro Bowl receiver a shot to make a play. Collins, running a skinny post, was able to course correct and reach back behind him to make one heck of a catch for a first down.
Febechi Nwaiwu Has POP and Treyvhon Saunders Runs Free
On the next play, Mills handed to Whittington "for a few" as I noted in my notebook, but I noticed how much POP rookie G Febechi Nwaiwu has. My goodness. He put his helmet to, and through, a Raiders defender to open up space for Noah.
A few plays later, Whittington followed Blake Fisher and G Wyatt Teller to wide open running spaces. Those two washed that right side out and gave Noah some serious room to maneuver. The very next play was one of the biggest of the morning. Mills dropped to throw and saw rookie WR Treyvhon Saunders WIDE OPEN down the field. He launched. Saunders snatched it and then ran in for an easy TD.
Two plays later, Mills threw to rookie WR Daniel Sobkowicz across the middle. The rookie wide out had to reach back a bit to reel it in, but he did and it ended up as one of the best throws/catches of the day.
Red Zone: Woody Marks, Dalton Schultz and a Lewis Bond Two-Pack
The teams then moved into the red zone for the next team drill. The offensive line pinballed Crosby around a bit and Montgomery got on his skis for a run and slalomed through the openings up front. That was a great way to start that drill. But, two plays in a row yielded nothing before Stroud made one heck of a play on a TD throw to Woody Marks. The snap was low and perhaps even bounced once, but Stroud fielded the bouncing ball quickly, gathered himself and threw a dart to Woody out in the left flat for an easy TD.
On the final play of that period, Mills threw a backshoulder fade ball to Bond, who made another stellar catch for a TD.
Bond made another TD catch a few plays later when he ran down the seam, hooked up and Mills put the ball right on him before he even turned. Throw and catch on that one was insanely good.
On the play prior, Marks was WIDE ACRE OPEN in the left flat for another TD. Stroud could've punted him the ball he was so open.
Woody Marks Lowers the Boom on the Kickoff Return
Then, it was time for special teams - kickoff return. Marks took the kick and hit a BIG seam in the Raiders coverage. He was going a million miles an hour when BOOOOOM! Raiders FB Connor Heyward became roadkill. Heyward attempted to throw a shoulder into Woody, but the second-year RB was going so hard and fast that he put Heyward on his wallet. The sideline went crazy when he made that run/hit.
Jalen Pitre and Kamari Lassiter Close It Out
So, that'll do it. S Jalen Pitre had a pick six on defense, while CB Kamari Lassiter ended the practice with one as well, but that's about all I saw on the defensive side on Tuesday. It was a great day for the offense, another building block for the 2026 season.
