HOUSTON _ The task was too big for the rookie and there was far too little help from the rest of the roster.
The return to the postseason is officially a short one after Connor Cook and the Raiders were knocked out with a wild-card 27-14 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday at NRG Stadium.
Cook, the first quarterback to make his starting debut in a playoff game, played exactly like someone making his first NFL start. He threw an early interception to Jadeveon Clowney to set up a Houston touchdown, he held on to the ball too long and didn't display accuracy against the league's top-ranked defense. And with too little help from his receivers and lacking a steady running game, the Raiders first playoff appearance since 2002 didn't stand a chance.
Cook finished the day completing just 18 of his 45 passes for 161 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for a passer rating of 30.0.
Ultimately, no Derek Carr spelled no chance for the Raiders, whose breakthrough 12-4 regular season will have them enter next year among the favored contenders in the AFC. But that's a discussion for another day.
Brock Osweiler was effective in his return to starting duties. He had a passer rating of 90.1 by completing 14 of his 25 passes for 168 yards and a two-yard touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins late in the second quarter to give the Texans a 20-7 halftime lead. He also added a rushing touchdown.
Whitney Mercilus sacked Cook twice for a total loss of 16 yards. He also had a third tackle for loss and finished with seven tackles.
