In a thrilling matchup on Saturday, C.J. Stroud threw two long touchdown passes to propel the Houston Texans to a 20-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, securing the team”s third consecutive playoff berth for the first time in franchise history.
The Texans, now boasting an impressive record of 11-5, extended their winning streak to eight games, marking their longest run since a nine-game stretch in 2018. The Chargers, also at 11-5, saw their four-game winning streak come to an end, ceding the AFC West title to the Denver Broncos, who were idle this week. Earlier in the season, the Chargers had defeated the first-place Broncos but failed to set up a decisive matchup in Week 18.
Stroud”s early-game brilliance stunned the Chargers, as he launched two explosive touchdown passes that gave Houston a commanding 14-0 lead. On his very first throw, Stroud connected with Jayden Higgins for a 75-yard touchdown, exploiting a coverage breakdown. He then threw a 43-yard touchdown to Jaylin Noel, who found himself unmarked in the end zone. This was particularly surprising given that the Chargers had allowed just one touchdown pass of 40 or more yards in their last 15 games.
Stroud completed his initial six attempts and finished the game with 16 completions on 28 attempts for 244 yards, alongside two interceptions. The Texans” defense was relentless, forcing Justin Herbert into third-down sacks during the Chargers” first two drives and limiting them to three-and-outs on three of their first four possessions, silencing the SoFi Stadium crowd.
Playing with a broken left hand, which is non-throwing, Herbert managed to complete 21 of 32 passes for 236 yards, recording one touchdown and one interception, while being sacked five times. Derwin James Jr. intercepted Stroud in the second quarter, but the Chargers could only muster a 27-yard field goal from Cameron Dicker, trailing 14-3 at that point.
Despite another interception thrown by Stroud, the Chargers failed to capitalize, even after Herbert was intercepted by Azeez Al-Shaair at the Houston 1-yard line. The ball, intended for Oronde Gadsden, slipped off his hands, resulting in Al-Shaair”s second interception of the season. Gadsden”s frustration was evident as he sat on the bench, holding his face in his hands.
Dicker faced an unusual challenge as he missed a field goal attempt from under 40 yards just before halftime, and later missed his first extra point of the season following a 5-yard touchdown run by Omarion Hamption, which narrowed Houston”s lead to 20-16.
In addition to Stroud”s touchdowns, Ka”imi Fairbairn contributed with field goals of 41 and 44 yards for the Texans. The Chargers attempted to rally, closing the gap to 17-10 after a turbulent drive that included two sacks and two incompletions before Herbert found Gadsden for a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Moving forward, the Texans will face the Indianapolis Colts to conclude the regular season, while the Chargers will visit the Denver Broncos in their final game.
