The Los Angeles Super Chargers are going to battle with a very dangerous Houston Texans team this Saturday in a primetime matchup, the standalone game at 1:30 p.m. PT. With a win, Los Angeles has the opportunity to put all the pressure on Bo Nix and the Broncos heading into their Week 18 showdown in Denver. The Chargers have a real chance to steal the AFC West after a season that looked like it might truly be over by Week 7.

Although Christmas has passed, Chargers fans should have been hoping for a few specific things when these two teams face off on Saturday afternoon.

This Texans defensive line is made of absolute nightmare fuel. Even if the Chargers were rolling out Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, there would still be real concern about keeping Justin Herbert upright. We saw exactly how difficult this matchup was in last year’s playoff game, when Houston lived in the backfield despite the Chargers being healthier up front.

Now, Los Angeles will be relying on Trevor Penning, Trey Pipkins and Bobby Hart to protect their franchise quarterback. That’s a tall order against this Texans front. If Chargers fans are writing Christmas lists this year, Justin Herbert making it through this game without taking a beating should be near the very top.

These aren’t Brandon Staley’s Chargers anymore. This is a Jim Harbaugh team through and through. Are they perfect? No. Are they firing on all cylinders every single week? Also no. But this team has faced adversity unlike almost anyone else in the league and still finds itself in position to win the division late in December.

That said, fans need more than just solid positioning in Week 17 to fully buy in. What they need to see is this team stepping up when it has every excuse in the world to fall flat. A win against Houston would be another data point showing that this group can perform under pressure, through injuries and against elite competition. That’s how narratives change, and it’s exactly what fans should be hoping to see this holiday season.

Greg Roman isn’t perfect, and no one is pretending otherwise. But he did call a solid game against Dallas, even if the Cowboys defense isn’t exactly intimidating. Houston is a completely different challenge.

Roman doesn’t need to be flashy, and this is not the team to get into a shootout with. What he needs to do is be steady. That means extra protection, quick throws, getting the ball into playmakers’ hands and keeping Herbert from getting crushed. As Herbert continues to get healthier, sprinkling in a designed run or two wouldn’t hurt either. Against a defense like this, fans should be hoping for a disciplined, thoughtful game plan rather than perfection.

The Chargers have a real opportunity to win this game and head into Denver with momentum and confidence in Week 18. If Chargers fans are making Christmas wishes, those three items should be at the top of the list. The Super Chargers have been undefeated since the bye. Now comes their toughest test yet. Let’s see if they can keep it going against the Texans.