The Lead’s Jethro Swain contributed to this article.
Coming into the 2024 playoffs, the Los Angeles Chargers were the popular pick to win their playoff game over the Houston Texans. Imagine the type of reaction that statement would elicit from an NFL fan just one year ago.
That was the case this weekend when the Chargers traveled to Houston, Texas as the clear pick by Vegas, media and fans to walk out with a road win over the Texans.
Houston’s motivation
NFL Network sided 7-1 in favor of Los Angeles in pregame picks.
ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck said on SportsCenter that the Chargers’ pass rush and “physical brand of football” would be too much for Houston to deal with.
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And on ESPN’s “Get Up”, Rex Ryan likened playing against the Texans to a bye week for Los Angeles.
That did not sit well with some of the Texans’ players.
Houston ended up winning the game 32-12. Despite recording three turnovers of their own, the Texans defense forced four interceptions out of Justin Herbert, who had three the entire regular season, one of which resulted in a pick-six. The Texans’ front seven played its best game of the season as well, halting the Chargers’ stubborn run game to just 50 total yards and sacking Herbert four times.
Stroud, who has dropped in the QB rankings of many over the course of the 2024 season, had 282 yards on a 66.7% completion percentage with one touchdown and one interception. Star WR and RB duo Nico Collins and Joe Mixon each eclipsed 100 yards from scrimmage and recorded a touchdown.
On top of slandering the Texans’ chances while on the air, head coaching candidate Ryan pointed out that LA was the number one scoring defense during the regular season and highlighted QR Quentin Johnston’s improved catching ability. The Chargers ended up allowing their second-most points of the season, and Johnston recorded zero catches.
Mixon quickly informed Ryan that he and the team had heard his comments. The veteran went live on Instagram after the game with a cigar in his mouth and proclaimed, “We’re smoking on that Rex Ryan pack.”
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With all of the praise the Chargers were given before kickoff for their pass rush, physicality and ability to run the ball, the Texans proved that they were more than their play in recent weeks had shown.
A quick start by the Chargers — thanks to a 57-yard drive resulting in a field goal and a fumble on Houston’s first play on offense, also leading to a field goal — resulted in a quick 6-0 lead. Houston’s defense allowed its offense plenty of time to find themselves, though, and once they did, the routing was on.
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Facing a league-leading defense for the second year in a row (the Browns led the NFL in yards and passing yards allowed in 2023), the Texans used five key plays to trounce the Chargers:
Defense
Watch Derek Barnett (#95) bullrush the left tackle Rashawn Slater. As Justin Herbert releases the football, he cannot step into the throw because Slater is falling into him.
Herbert had Ladd McConkey with about two yards of separation, and the ball was overthrown and into the hands of Eric Murray for a pick-six.
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On play-action, Will Anderson lines up at the top of the screen. He has incredible speed that the left guard, Zion Johnson, cannot even engage with him. Anderson gets quickly home for half a sack.
On a crucial fourth down on an island, Derek Stingley gets his hands on Quentin Johnson inside five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Watch Stingley’s left hand. His hand stays on Johnson, ready to make the tackle if he cannot break up the pass. Stingley, all in one motion, attempts to break up the pass and makes the tackle on Johnson, well short of the sticks.
Offense
The Texans’ passing game found success when the ball was coming out of CJ Stroud’s hands fast.
On 13 of his 36 dropbacks, Stroud released the ball in two seconds or less, which resulted in 11 completions and one touchdown. He was blitzed five times on Saturday.
On this dropback, Stroud immediately sets his feet, sees his first read — Nico Collins, separating on the slant route — and fires a bullet to Collins for a walk-in touchdown.
Another focal point of success was throwing against seven defenders or more in coverage.
On 19 of his 36 dropbacks, Stroud saw seven or more defenders in coverage (in other words, he was not blitzed).
That resulted in:
- 15 completions
- 1 incompletion
- 1 touchdown
- 1 interception
- 1 drop
Here’s a pass play that helped Stroud find a rhythm. Stroud does a one-step drop back and against soft coverage and locates his first read, John Metchie, for a first down.
For the second year in a row, DeMeco Ryans rallied the Texans to a playoff victory and sent Houston to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. Stroud’s second playoff victory in as many years already gives him the franchise lead in playoff wins for a QB.
During what many fans saw as a disappointing season, given the expectations placed on them, Houston has willed itself back to the same spot it was in last year. In 23 years of existence, the franchise has never been to an AFC Championship Game. They are 0-5 in Divisional Round games; they have two losses to the Ravens, two to the Patriots and one to the Chiefs.
In 2020, at Arrowhead, the Texans built a 24-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter against the eventual Super Bowl champions. That moment, before Kansas City scored 28 unanswered before halftime, leading to an eventual 51-31 blowout victory, was the closest the Texans have ever been to hoisting the Lombardi trophy.
Can Stroud and the Texans write more history this time around?
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