It is not how you start but how you finish. The Texans move on to the next round.
After rebounding from hibernation, getting off to a lackluster a start, the Houston Texans came from behind to defeat favorite, the visiting Los Angeles Chargers 32-12, moving on to the divisional round of the playoffs set for next week.
“Our defense, they dominated today,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “And that’s who we want to be. They played our brand of football.”
The Texans turned the ball over on a fumble on their first play from scrimmage, while already behind the eight ball, trailing 3-0 after giving up a field goal on the Chargers’ opening drive. The Texans offense was stagnant and that is being nice, gaining just 54 total yards on their first five possessions, which resulted in three punts, an interception and the previously mentioned fumble.
Unbelievably, it took them until the five-minute mark of the second quarter to register their second first down of the game, but they luckily got their juices flowing on that series and went down the field 99 yards for a touchdown to take the in the waning moments of the first half.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud eventually warmed to the task and finished with a strong game overall, completing 22 of 33 passes for 282 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also using his legs and athleticism, rushing four times for 44 yards, including a 27-yard scamper that set up an end-of-half field goal to give Houston a four-point lead, 10-6, heading into the locker room. Wide receiver Nico Collins had himself a day, with seven catches for 122 yards and a score, while Cade Stover and John Metchie III each hauled in four passes and running back Joe Mixon sprinkled in 100 total yards and a touchdown after a slow start to the game, powering a game-ending drive that included 14 consecutive runs, taking the air out of the ball.
Embed from Getty Images“It hasn’t always been easy this year,” Stroud said. “But this is just another thing that we can use to motivate us even more.”
Meanwhile, Houston’s defense, led by Will Anderson, stifled Justin Herbert and company for nearly 60 minutes, breaking only once for an 86-yard touchdown throw to rookie Ladd McConkey late in the fourth quarter, with the Texans protecting a three-score lead.
“I let the team down,” Herbert said. “You can’t turn over the ball like that and expect to win. I put the team in a tough position there with four turnovers like that.”
Herbert was running for his life throughout the afternoon, and he eventually took a beating with four sacks along with four picks, which is one more than he threw throughout the entire 17-game regular season. He was off target as well, completing less than 50% of his passes when the game was still up for grabs and hanging in the balance, as no one other than McConkey could come close to gaining separation downfield. The Chargers’ ground game, featuring J.K. Dobbins who grew up right outside of Houston, was also essentially nonexistent throughout, forcing the entire burden of the offense onto a passing attack that did not have enough fire power, and an offensive line that was taken to the cleaners by Anderson Jr. and Houston’s defensive front.
First-year coach Jim Harbaugh, who won a national championship with his alma matta Michigan in Houston last January, shouldered the responsibility for the loss.
“They were the better team today,” he said. “All respect to them. Not being the better team today, I’m accountable for that. That’s on me.”
Now, the Chargers take the long flight back home and prepare for an off season with more questions to answer and the Texans are headed to the next round of the playoffs.
