Chargers' AFC West destiny hinges on Hampton grinding, Herbert's composure, and Henley's defensive impact against a stout Texans unit.
It’s game day. The Los Angeles Super Chargers take on the Houston Texans this afternoon looking to keep their AFC West title hopes alive. The Bolts will be on the national stage as the 1:30 PM PST standalone game on NFL Network. With a loss, the Denver Broncos will officially clinch the AFC West, though they would still have a first-round bye to play for when the Chargers head to Denver next week. With a win, the Chargers control their destiny to steal the division and host a playoff game at SoFi Stadium for the first time since moving to Los Angeles.
The Chargers are going to have a tough time against a defense as stout and aggressive as Houston’s, but there is a path to victory. These three players will be crucial if the Chargers want to pull it off.
Omarion Hampton
The Chargers are going to struggle in pass protection. They are simply outmatched in the trenches and there is no scheming their way out of that reality. What can help is letting Omarion Hampton set the tone of the offense. Hampton doesn’t need 150 yards and two touchdowns. What he needs to do is fight. Fight through contact, fall forward and grind out three to four yards a carry. That’s how you keep the Chargers in third and manageable and stop Houston’s pass rush from pinning their ears back. If Hampton can keep the offense on schedule, everything else becomes possible.
Justin Herbert
This one is obvious, but not for box-score reasons. This is about the mental side. Herbert needs to wipe last year’s playoff disaster in Houston from his memory entirely. The pressure is going to be heavy again, maybe worse, and the Chargers need him to stay composed. He doesn’t need to be Superman today. He needs to be steady. Protect the football, trust the run game, take what the defense gives him and avoid letting the moment snowball. Herbert is far too talented and competitive to fail twice in revenge spots. If he responds the right way, the Chargers have a real shot.
Daiyan Henley
With Denzel Perryman’s two-game suspension upheld, Daiyan Henley has to step up in a big way. Houston isn’t a dominant rushing team, but if they’re allowed to get comfortable on the ground, this game is over. Henley needs to be flying downhill, filling gaps and finishing tackles. He needs to show up in blitz packages, hold his own in coverage and help anchor the defense next to Derwin James. When Henley plays fast and decisive, the Chargers’ defense looks completely different. They’ll need that version today.
These three players need to show up. If they do, the Chargers have a legitimate chance to win on both sides of the ball. If they don’t, the Super Chargers could be staring at their first loss in the navy throwbacks and it could get ugly fast against a defense this aggressive.
This is the Chargers’ biggest game of the season. Let’s see what Jim Harbaugh and company have in store. The AFC West depends on it.