The Houston Texans advanced to the AFC Divisional Round with a dominant 32-12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card playoffs on Saturday. Fueled by an opportunistic defense and steady play from quarterback C.J. Stroud, the Texans delivered one of their most complete performances of the season.
The Texans entered the game with an ambitious defensive goal, as All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. revealed earlier in the week: forcing three turnovers per game. Against the Chargers, Houston’s secondary did even better, intercepting Justin Herbert four times, a career-high for the Pro Bowl quarterback.
Stingley, the third overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was the standout performer, picking off two of Herbert’s passes, including a pivotal fourth-quarter interception. Fellow cornerback Eric Murray returned another interception 38 yards for a touchdown, the first of his career. Rookie Kamari Lassiter added the fourth pick, as the Texans’ relentless pass rush and secondary made life miserable for Herbert.
The Texans’ pass rush sacked Herbert four times and hit him nine more, keeping the Chargers’ potent offense out of sync. “We wanted to make him uncomfortable, and I think we accomplished that,” Stingley said postgame.
Herbert, who threw just three interceptions during the regular season, finished with a dismal 40.9 passer rating, completing only 14 of 32 passes for 242 yards. He became the latest quarterback to fall victim to the Texans’ resurgent defense, which has played with a new level of aggression under defensive coordinator Matt Burke.
On offense, C.J. Stroud showcased poise and playmaking ability to lead Houston. Stroud threw for 282 yards with one touchdown and one interception, joining an exclusive club of quarterbacks to win playoff games in each of their first two seasons. His lone touchdown pass—a 13-yard strike to Nico Collins just before halftime—sparked a Texans offense that had struggled early.
Collins set a franchise playoff record with 122 receiving yards on seven catches, including a key third-down conversion that capped a 99-yard drive late in the second quarter. That drive was highlighted by Stroud’s improvisation, recovering a fumbled snap and finding Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain to keep the possession alive.
Running back Joe Mixon also contributed with 106 yards and a touchdown, while D’Angelo Ross added two points by returning a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter.
For the Chargers, the loss marked another early postseason exit, their second consecutive wild-card round defeat. First-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, who led Michigan to a national championship in Houston last January, took responsibility for the loss. “This one’s on me,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t execute well enough, and I didn’t have us prepared for what they threw at us.”
Despite a late 86-yard touchdown connection between Herbert and rookie receiver Ladd McConkey, the Chargers couldn’t overcome their turnovers or a stout Texans defense. Houston’s defense scored 15 points directly or indirectly off interceptions, including Murray’s touchdown and Ross’s blocked extra-point return.
The Texans’ victory marks their sixth trip to the divisional round, as they aim to reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history. “We’re not satisfied,” Stroud said. “We’ve got more work to do, but today showed what this team is capable of.”
Houston will face a tough opponent next week, but with a surging defense and a young quarterback who continues to rise to the occasion, the Texans look poised to make a deep playoff run.