Texans Dominate Chargers 44-22 in LA to Improve to 3-5

The Houston Texans were on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon, and the Texans were able to come out on top by a score of 44-22.

Over the course of the game on Sunday, the Texans were able to dominate, especially on the offensive side as they got contributions from several players which resulted in a great day for the Houston offense.

In this game, quarterback C.J. Stroud finished with a great stat line as he completed 21 of his 35 passes for 384 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.

On Sunday, Stroud distributed the ball well as Kayshon Boutte had four catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns, and Tank Dell scored his first touchdown since returning while totaling four receptions for 105 yards and that score.

Additionally, wide receiver Nico Collins had four receptions for 55 yards and a very impressive touchdown grab, tight end Dalton Schultz added two receptions for 42 yards, wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson had three receptions for 29 yards and one touchdown, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had two receptions for 20 yards.

That said, the passing game was incredible for the Texans on Sunday, and it demonstrated the fact that Houston has the ability to dominate through the air. On the ground, the Texans did decently as they ran the ball 28 times for 104 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry, but it was clear they had the most success through the air.

Now shifting focus to the defensive side, the Texans dominated, especially up front as they sacked Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert a total of eight times while also hitting him a total of seven times which never allowed Los Angeles to get going offensively.

Through the first three quarters the defense did a great job as the Texans held the Chargers to nine points, which all came on field goals.

In the fourth quarter, it did seem like Houston took their foot off the gas as they allowed 13 points and allowed LA to end their streak of 37 consecutive drives without a touchdown, as wide receiver Quentin Johnston was able to break through the secondary for a 58-yard touchdown from Herbert.

Also the Chargers ended up pulling Herbert out of the game and put in backup quarterback DJ Uiagelelei who led Los Angeles down the field and ended up throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Davis.

Nonetheless, the Texans' defense played very well, and in addition to the pressure they generated, Houston was able to pick off Herbert once, with cornerback Derek Stingley getting the interception, and the Texans also forced running back Keaton Mitchell, with safety Calen Bullock recovering the fumble that was forced by linebacker Henry To'o To'o.

When it comes to yards, the Texans allowed 193 passing yards from Herbert and 24 passing yards from Uiagalelei. On the ground, Houston had some issues, as they allowed Los Angeles to run the ball 30 times for 148 yards while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

One more thing to add is the fact that kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn was perfect while going 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points, which once again proved that he is one of the more reliable kickers in the NFL.

All that said, following the dominant victory, the Texans improved to 3-5 and are hoping they can build some momentum to be able to make a run at the postseason and potentially catch the Jacksonville Jaguars for a chance to win the AFC South.

In this game, the Texans showed great signs on offense, defense, and special teams, which is a great place to be for a team looking to make a run in the AFC.

So, moving forward, it will be interesting to see if the Texans can continue to play well on offense, defense, and special teams, because if they can play complete games, it is possible that Houston could become one of the more complete teams in the NFL, which could help the Texans to rebound from a tough start to the year and make the playoffs for the fourth straight year under head coach DeMeco Ryans.