Houston helps chase down a victory

OAKLAND – After a short pass from Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne to Cecil Shorts III in overtime, Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston turned and chased the ball carrier because he doesn't know any other way.

"The wide receiver wasn't paying attention to me, and I was just running (to the ball) like I was coached, and I ended up making a great play," Houston said after the Raiders' 26-23 win Sunday at O.co Coliseum.

Houston caused Shorts to fumble, Joselio Hanson jumped on the free ball, and moments later Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 40-yard field goal to improve the Raiders' record to 2-4.

It's the kind of play the Raiders have come to expect from Houston, a third-year player who earlier this season pursued a Denver ball carrier for 74 yards from the line of scrimmage and recovered a fumble.

"Those are types of plays and a type of player we're looking for, the guys that are going to give that type of effort on a down-in, down-out basis," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said.

Shorts, who caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Gabbert in the first quarter, said: "I was trying to get up field, get some extra yards and make a play. Somebody I didn't see definitely knocked it out."

Houston led the Raiders with eight tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry. He has stayed on the field more this season because of his ability to play outside and inside, and because the coaches love his hustle.

"He's a little fireball out there," defensive tackle Richard Seymour said of the 305-pound Houston. "He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. He really does everything well. He's a guy that has some juice on Sunday in terms of being a motivational guy in the locker room."

Et cetera – Hanson's fumble recovery in overtime was his second this season, and he has recovered at least one fumble in five of the last six seasons.

"That's what I do," Hanson said. "I'm always around the ball."

• The Raiders had three sacks – by Houston, Seymour and rookie Miles Burris, a graduate of Granite Bay High School. It was Burris' first NFL sack.

• Janikowski's 40-yard field goal was his second game-winner of the season (he beat Pittsburgh with a 43-yard field goal in Week 3) and the 13th of his career.

• The back-to-back wins at home were the Raiders' first since 2010.

• Tight end Brandon Myers had four of his seven receptions in the fourth quarter and now has 15 of his team-leading 28 receptions in the fourth quarter.

• Read more articles by Jerry McDonald

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