Raiders vs. Texans 2017 live scores, highlights, and news from NFL playoffs

The Houston Texans will advance to the Divisional Round after beating the Oakland Raiders in wild card play.

Fourth quarter: Houston extended its lead over the Raiders when Brock Osweiler ran in a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth. Connor Cook led an 11-play, 75-yard drive for the Raiders that culminated with an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Holmes. It was Cook’s only passing touchdown of the game, and it cut the Texans’ lead to 27-14.

Third quarter: Neither team managed to get into the end zone or score any field goals in the third quarter. The Texans did run back a punt for what appeared to be a touchdown late in the quarter, but a running into the kicker penalty on Houston negated it.

Second quarter: The Texans were able to extend their lead over the Raiders to 13-7 with another Nick Novak field goal. The 38-yard score capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive for Houston.

A perfectly-placed 38-yard Brock Osweiler pass to DeAndre Hopkins set up Houston’s second touchdown of the game. Hopkins caught the touchdown pass from Osweiler, too, giving Houston a 20-7 lead over the Raiders.

First quarter: The Texans got on the board first, with a 50-yard Nick Novak field goal. Houston scored again almost immediately, thanks to a heads-up play on a tipped screen pass that Jadeveon Clowney turned into an interception. The pick put the Texans on the Raiders’ 4-yard line, and Lamar Miller was able to run it in for the score on the very next play, giving the Texans a 10-0 lead.

Oakland answered, though. Latavius Murray capped off a 38-yard Raiders drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown to narrow the Texans’ lead to 10-7.

Raiders’ injuries are piling up at the worst possible time

Who farted on the ESPN set?

Jadeveon Clowney keeps destroying the Raiders’ screen passes

Connor Cook got sacked directly into someone’s butt

Three Raiders tried and failed to keep a punt from going into the end zone

Brock Osweiler vs. Connor Cook is a match made for the Holiday Bowl, but the Wild Card round of the 2017 NFL playoffs will have to take what it can get.

Injuries have forced two quarterbacks recently stuck in the shallow end of the depth chart into starting roles for the first game of the postseason. As a result, the league’s second-least effective passer (among starters) will take on a rookie with 21 professional passes to his name.

But Saturday’s matchup between the Raiders and Texans still offers plenty of compelling storylines. Two young, dynamic defenses will clash in what promises to be a pitcher’s duel in Houston.

The Texans will hope budding superstar Jadeveon Clowney can continue his ascension to the league’s elite by hounding Cook into a disappointing performance. Clowney has started to live up to the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s recorded a sack in each of his last three games and has induced double-teams as opposing blockers have struggled with his strength and athleticism.

Also, he’s eager to see a third-string quarterback starting his first playoff game.

The Raiders already have the player Clowney hopes to become anchoring their defense. Khalil Mack blossomed into a bonafide Defensive Player of the Year candidate in his third season as a pro. The hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker has squashed no fewer than three late-game rallies with strip sacks and has been the catalyst, along with QB Derek Carr, behind the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2002.

He’ll square off against Osweiler for the second time this season Saturday. Oakland rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Houston, 27-20, in a November game staged in Mexico City. The Texans will have home-field advantage this time, but they’ll have to hope for a more promising performance from the quarterback they lured from Denver last offseason. Osweiler needed 39 passes to throw for 243 yards and threw as many touchdown passes (one) as interceptions.

Games like that led Osweiler to the bench despite his four-year, $72 million contract and gave former fourth-round pick Tom Savage a chance to shine. Savage played capably behind center to lead the Texans to an AFC South title, but suffered a concussion last week against the Titans and will miss this Wild Card showdown.

Could Saturday be Bill O’Brien’s final game as head coach of the Houston Texans (Battle Red Blog)

Jadeveon Clowney and the Texans’ No. 1 defense could be a problem in the playoffs (SB Nation)

The last time the Raiders made the playoffs, the world gave us Nickelback, American Idol, other tremendous achievements (SB Nation)

How the Raiders can protect Connor Cook from a mauling Texans defense (SB Nation)

Connor Cook will rely on his “big time” college experience when he becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to make his first career start in a playoff game (Sliver and Black Pride)