Raiders vs. Texans 2017: Time, TV schedule for NFL playoffs

The Houston Texans will start quarterback Brock Osweiler in the Wild Card round, while the Oakland Raiders will start rookie fourth-round pick Connor Cook. At this point, we’ve seen a lot more of Osweiler, but that hardly tips in Houston’s favor given his struggles since the Texans gave him a massive contract this offseason.

The two teams will meet on Saturday in the first of two Wild Card games on the day. They will kick off at 4:35 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC. A live stream of the game will be available via WatchESPN, though it will require login credentials from a cable or satellite provider.

Osweiler, he of the $72 million contract, has completed just 301 of 510 passes for 2,957 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He’s played poorly overall, and there has been talk from the Texans of serious buyer’s remorse . In fact, Osweiler was benched in Week 15 after throwing picks on back-to-back drives against the Jaguars. Tom Savage rallied Houston to a win and was named the starter the next two weeks, until he sustained a concussion a week ago. That left Osweiler as the starter again and gives him a chance at redemption.

He’ll be dueling a rookie, albeit one with weapons like Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Cook will be the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to debut as a starter in a playoff game. The Raiders are hoping he’s up to the challenge, but realistically, they’re in a bad place.

Oakland is 12-4 on the season, surging into the playoffs on the back of Derek Carr, who is out with a broken fibula. His backup, Matt McGloin, sustained a shoulder injury in Week 17.

That leaves Cook as the man. He’ll try to beat a Texans team that finished the regular season at 9-7. Brandon Weeden will be the primary backup to Osweiler with Savage still in concussion protocol. Cook has to outperform Houston’s offense, which was on the losing end of a minus-49 point differential.

In limited action, Cook completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards after McGloin went down with an injury. He also threw for a touchdown and an interception, but other than that, his experience in the NFL is zero. He’s a blank slate, and that might even be something of an advantage for the Raiders.

If Houston is going to win, it’s going to need defensive playmakers like Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus to step up. If the Texans can’t figure out Cook early on, then the Raiders could catch them by surprise.

Osweiler has shown flashes of high-level play, as he did in his limited time with the Denver Broncos. But with the Texans, he’s posted the lowest yards per attempt of any starter in the league. The Texans ranked 28th in the league in scoring, 30th in passing touchdowns, and 29th in yards. The Raiders seem more than well-equipped to handle this.

Below is all you need to know to watch Saturday’s game.

Time: 4:35 p.m. ET

Location: NRG Stadium, Houston

TV: ESPN/ABC

Announcers: Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters

Online Streaming: WatchESPN