With a 6-3 record and leading the AFC South, the Texans begin preparations for one of the most highly-anticipated primetime games in franchise history, Monday Night Football in Mexico City.
"We're excited about that," head coach Bill O'Brien said Monday. "I know that Mr. (Robert C.) McNair and the NFL feel strongly about international play. It's a pretty short trip for us. We know we're going to have a lot of fans down there, which is great for our team and our organization."
The Texans will face the (7-2) Oakland Raiders, who are tied for the first in the AFC West with Kansas City. The Raiders, coming off a bye week, defeated the Denver Broncos 30-20 in primetime in Week 9. Running back Latavius Murray rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns while Oakland's defense forced two turnovers in the win.
"I think they're playing as one of the best teams in the league," O'Brien said. "I think that they're very athletic. I think offensively just watching a lot of their film here over the last couple days, big, big offensive line. Downhill running attack. Derek Carr is playing very, very well."
Carr, in his third season, has led an offense that ranks third in the AFC with 2,505 net passing yards. He's completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The Raiders defense is currently third in the league in turnover differential at plus-9, 15 takeaways and just 6 giveaways this year.
"No yards are going to be easy," O'Brien said. "So it's going to be a very, very challenging game for us. Give our guys a couple days off here. Come back ready to go on Wednesday and do the best we can to prepare for a very good Oakland team."
The Texans vs. Raiders game is set for 7:30 p.m. CT from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The Monday Night Football game will be broadcast on ESPN and SportsRadio 610.
The Texans faced the Jaguars at EverBank Field in Week 10.
