PLAYER NOTES

-- WR Ronald Curry did not practice Thursday because of turf toe and is doubtful to face Houston.

--WR Ashley Lelie did not practice Thursday because of a calf injury and is doubtful to face Houston.

--TE Zach Miller was limited in practice Thursday with a stinger but is expected to start against the Texans.

--DT Tommy Kelly was limited in practice Thursday, a day after getting his knee drained and is expected to start against the Texans.

--QB Marques Tuiasosopo was taking second-team snaps and should be the backup over Andrew Walter for the second consecutive week.

--DE Trevor Scott, a rookie out of Buffalo, had two sacks against the Patriots and has five for the season -- the most of any rookie in the NFL.

GAME PLAN: The Raiders have started slowly on offense all season, and are coming off back-to-back losses where games got away from them early. Look for them to be more aggressive against Houston, getting McFadden into the mix earlier, and do something other than go off-tackle with Justin Fargas on first-and-10 as a warm-up act. Defensively, the Raiders were essentially no-shows against the Patriots running game, and things won't get any easier against Houston's Steve Slaton. One thing in their favor -- the Texans employ a zone-blocking system similar to the Raiders. Rather than being beaten head-up, Raiders defenders will be able to move in space and are less likely to be overpowered.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Raiders LT Mario Henderson vs. Texans RE Mario Williams. Henderson, according to Cable, earned a "B-plus" for his performance in a starting role against New England defensive end Richard Seymour. Henderson had no penalties, in contrast to predecessor Kwame Harris, who led the NFL with 11 false starts and had 15 penalties overall. Williams, however, has a speed-power combination unlike Seymour, who is purely power.

Texans WR Andre Johnson vs. Raiders CB Chris Johnson. Andre Johnson is having a career year with 103 receptions for 1,408 yards, both league highs, and six touchdowns. He has caught passes both short and long, and the troublesome thing for the Raiders is that Gary Kubiak moves him around to create mismatches. That means keeping Johnson away from cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and on Chris Johnson. Johnson started out playing extremely well in place of DeAngelo Hall but has slipped in recent weeks.

INJURY IMPACT: With Curry and Lelie out, and Higgins and Chaz Schilens in at wide receiver, it gives the Raiders a younger, faster look on the outside and could pay benefits. Curry has been a security blanket of sorts because of inexperience but has made some crucial drops. Lelie makes big plays and then vanishes.