(Sports Network) - The dismal offensive performance of the Oakland Raiders demanded a change, and at long last, head coach Art Shell delivered one. On Sunday, when the Houston Texans visit McAfee Coliseum, it will be determined whether that change was for the better.

It was Tuesday when Shell demoted offensive coordinator and longtime associate Tom Walsh, replacing him with tight ends coach and former Chicago Bears coordinator John Shoop. Walsh had presided over an attack that currently ranks last in the league in total offense (239.8 yards per game), scoring offense (12 points per game), passing offense (139.5 yards per game), touchdowns (13), passing touchdowns (6), and sacks allowed (53). After Oakland managed to score 20 or more points four times in a five-game stretch (which included the Raiders' only wins of the season), the Silver and Black have not scored more than 14 in their current four-game losing skid.

The Raiders dropped a 21-14 decision in San Diego last Sunday, their third loss to an AFC West team in as many weeks, all by seven points or less. Oakland enters Week 13 tied with the Cardinals and Lions for the worst record in the NFL.

Houston is also sliding, having lost back-to-back games since scoring their finest win of the season to date at Jacksonville in Week 10. Gary Kubiak's injury-depleted club lost at the Jets, 26-11, last Sunday, falling into sole possession of last place in the AFC South in the process.

The Texans would clinch their fifth straight losing season with a defeat in Oakland on Sunday.

SERIES HISTORY

The Texans and Raiders have met just once before, a 30-17 Houston victory at Reliant Stadium in Week 4 of the 2004 season. A Houston-based franchise will be traveling to Oakland for the first time since the Oilers lost to the Raiders, 27-7, in the 1980 AFC Championship.

Kubiak and Shell have never met one another, nor each other's respective franchise, as head coaches.

TEXANS OFFENSE VS. RAIDERS DEFENSE

Despite some persistent calls for him to be benched, quarterback David Carr (2219 passing yards, 10 TD, 7 INT) remains the man at the controls of the Houston offense. In fact, the season-ending broken thumb suffered by backup Sage Rosenfels in last Sunday's loss to the Jets basically ensures that Carr will finish out the season as the starter. But in order to have a shot at the job next year, Carr will have to be much better than he has been over the team's recent 1-4 stretch, when he has thrown a grand total of one touchdown pass. That scoring strike came in mop-up time against the Jets last week, when Carr looked good on paper by completing 39-of-54 passes for a season-high 321 yards and an interception to go with his touchdown. Wideouts Andre Johnson (84 receptions, 5 TD) and Eric Moulds (49 receptions, 1 TD) caught 10 passes each in the defeat, with Johnson's haul going for 98 yards and a touchdown. Johnson appears headed to his second career Pro Bowl, as he continues to lead the NFL in receptions. Rookie tight end Owen Daniels (31 receptions, 5 TD) also got back into the mix last week after a few quiet games, posting five receptions for 34 yards. The Houston line has allowed 30 sacks on the season, including four last week.

Oakland enters Week 13 surprisingly ranked No. 1 in the league against the pass (156.5 yards per game), and while that total has something to do with the fact that the Raiders have faced fewer passing attempts than all but one team, the secondary and pass rush have actually been undisputed strengths for Shell's squad. Cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha (34 tackles, 5 INT, 1 sack) and Fabian Washington (22 tackles, 3 INT) have combined for eight of the Raiders' 14 interceptions on the year, and safeties Michael Huff (56 tackles) and Stuart Schweigert (76 tackles) have done a good job supporting the CBs. Asomugha tallied his team-leading fifth pick of the year off of San Diego's Philip Rivers last week. Leading pass rusher Derrick Burgess (8.5 sacks) is on the brink of a second consecutive double-digit sack season, and is just two- and-a-half sacks behind the Panthers' Julius Peppers for the NFL lead in that category. Burgess was credited with half-a-sack against the Chargers, sharing his sack with defensive tackle Tommy Kelly (2.5 sacks).

The Texans' hot-and-cold running game was cold again last week, as running backs Samkon Gado (217 rushing yards, 1 TD, 16 receptions) and Wali Lundy (415 rushing yards, 3 TD, 27 receptions) combined for a paltry 15 yards on 11 carries. The performance dropped the Texans into a tie for 26th in the league in rushing offense (96.3 yards per game). Lundy, who leads the team in rushing, is likely to remain the starter, with Gado and Ron Dayne set to back him this week. Dayne (183 rushing yards) hasn't been active in any of the team's past three games, and hasn't had a carry since October, but could see some touches on Sunday with fullback Jameel Cook (knee) battling an injury.

The Raiders will be pleased to see Houston's nondescript running game one week after having to put up with the multi-talented LaDainian Tomlinson. Oakland was the latest in a long line of teams to be taken down by the perennial Pro Bowler, who rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a third score. Linebackers Kirk Morrison (88 tackles, 2 INT) and Thomas Howard (69 tackles) will have primary responsibility in controlling the Houston run, while defensive tackles Kelly (44 tackles) and Warren Sapp (32 tackles, 6 sacks) will seek to provide a presence in the trenches. Morrison led the Raiders with seven tackles against San Diego, and Kelly and Sapp combined for seven stops. Oakland is 25th in the league against the run (133.1 yards per game), but has also faced the most rushing attempts (361) in the NFL.

RAIDERS OFFENSE VS. TEXANS DEFENSE

Aaron Brooks (434 passing yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) will make his third consecutive start on Sunday after missing most of the first half of the season with a shoulder injury, and will be looking to eclipse the 200-yard passing plateau for the first time this season. Brooks completed 17-of-30 passes for 187 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in last week's loss to the Chargers, connecting most often with tight ends John Madsen (6 receptions, 1 TD) and Randal Williams (17 receptions). The rookie Madsen caught three passes for 69 yards and scored the first touchdown of his career in the game, while Williams notched a team-best four receptions for 29 yards. Wide receivers Randy Moss (36 receptions, 3 TD) and Ronald Curry (26 receptions) had three catches each in the defeat. Moss has just one 100-yard game to his credit this season, and has a total of 12 receptions in his past five games combined. The Raiders have allowed a league-high 53 sacks on the year, including five to San Diego last Sunday.

Rookie end and No. 1 overall draft pick Mario Williams (31 tackles, 4.5 sacks) should be licking his chops at the prospect of facing the league's worst pass- protecting team. Williams has been held without a sack in three straight games amid regular double-teams and a persistent foot injury that has hampered his ability off the edge. Defensive tackle Anthony Maddox (20 tackles, 1 sack) had the Texans' only sack against the Jets last week, and Houston ranks near the bottom of the league with just 19 sacks on the year. The secondary hasn't been much better, as it is largely responsible for the team rank of 28th in NFL passing defense (231.5). Houston allowed the Jets' Chad Pennington to awake from his slumber with a 286-yard passing performance last week, a showing that was achieved off the backs of cornerbacks Dunta Robinson (55 tackles, 2 INT) and Demarcus Faggins (14 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) along with safeties Glenn Earl (47 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) and C.C. Brown (56 tackles, 1 sack). Robinson was the most effective member of the group, with five tackles and a forced fumble to his credit on the day.

Justin Fargas (361 rushing yards) will get another turn as the Raiders' primary running back this week, as starter LaMont Jordan (434 rushing yards, 2 TD, 10 receptions) is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Fargas totaled 32 yards on 14 carries against the tough San Diego front seven last week, also logging one 16-yard catch out of the backfield. The absence of Jordan should also mean increased touches for fullback Zack Crockett (146 rushing yards, 6 receptions). Crockett, in his eighth season on the Oakland roster, carried seven times for 22 yards last week. The Raiders are 20th in the league in rushing offense (100.4 yards per game).

The Texans were surprisingly good against the run against the Jets, limiting New York to 27 rushing yards on 26 carries for the day. The performance was surprising in light of the battered state of an interior line that will be without tackles Seth Payne (knee) and Travis Johnson (calf) for the rest of the season. Maddox, a waiver-wire find from the Jaguars, was active with six tackles and a sack. Another DT starter, Thomas Johnson (10 tackles), is doubtful for this week with a hamstring injury, meaning ex-Chief Lional Dalton (5 tackles) will likely be in the starting lineup. Houston linebackers DeMeco Ryans (99 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Morlon Greenwood (67 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) played well against the Jets, with the rookie Ryans posting a team-high 14 tackles and Greenwood chipping in with nine stops. The Texans are 19th in the league against the run (116.3 yards per game) as Week 13 begins.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Raiders fans will be disappointed to find that Shoop, the new offensive coordinator, won't be able to solve Oakland's offensive problems overnight. There is little chance that the design of the Raiders scheme can change dramatically over a five-day span, though Shoop calling the shots may give the players a bit of a spark. If Oakland is to beat Houston, it will be on the strength of a quality defense that hasn't allowed more than 21 points in a game since Week 5. The Raiders will hold the Texans in check, as Carr continues in his failure to make big plays, while the running game struggles with its consistency as well.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Raiders 12, Texans 7