The Texans (10-7) host the Chargers (11-6) this weekend in a Wild Card Playoff. Houston won the AFC South, while Los Angeles finished second in AFC West. It's the first-ever postseason meeting between the franchises. Here are five things to watch when they kick off at 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday inside NRG Stadium.
1) Have a day, C.J. – In his playoff debut a year ago, C.J. Stroud was magnificent. The rookie quarterback tossed three touchdowns, completed 16-of-21 passes for 274 yards and helped Houston glide to a 45-14 romp over the Browns.
Last week in his lone drive of the game at Tennessee, Stroud completed all six of his passes for 50 yards, the last one being a touchdown throw to Nico Collins.
For Stroud, the first go-round last year should help pay dividends this weekend.
"Being able to play in the playoffs last year was definitely helpful to know the standard and what it takes to win these games," Stroud said. "So, I would say that's definitely the helpful part of having a second year in the playoffs."
Tight end Dalton Schultz "is looking forward to seeing what he can do", and praised the second-year signal-caller's mental toughness.
"Mentally, he's as strong as they come," Schultz said. "When you get in these moments knowing that there's a guy like him that's going to have the ball in his hands every play, we've got a lot of confidence in that kid. A ton of confidence. These moments is where he shines the brightest, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do."
Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh called Stroud "a great player" and described his fearlessness.
"All the talent is there, and the courage," Stroud said. "So many times I've seen a defender come right at him and he just stands in there. He lets them get close enough, knows they're going to hit him, and then he's able to get the ball up, over them, around them. We're talking 16, 18 yard in-breaking, dig routes, or routes to the sideline. He's a great guy and tremendous competitor."
2) Pass Protection plus – Stroud was sacked 52 times this season, and the offensive line has had several different starting lineups through the course of the year. The Chargers have the NFL's best scoring defense. Los Angeles allowed just 17.2 points per game in the regular season, and rang up 46 sacks this year.
With names like Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa at outside linebacker, and the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month in Derwin James patrolling the back end of the secondary, Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik and company face a tough test.
"Obviously, Bosa and Khalil have been really good for a very long time," Slowik said. "They have played a lot of football, and it shows on tape, constant pressure, constant impact in the run game and what they do to edges. Then Derwin James and what they do with him and all different places he shows up om the field, he is on the line of scrimmage, he is in deep defense, he is active in the pass game, he is a really good blitzer, they do a great job moving him around and using his as a weapon in their defensive scheme. Then making sure they can isolate their edge rushers and roll all four out there to create problems for you."
Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans described the mentality needed by the offensive line, with all the changes up front.
"You see guys moving around at different spots, but it is about getting our best guys out there and going and competing," Ryans said. "That is what offensive line play is about. It is gritty, it is tough, you don't get a lot of love or a lot of pats on the back. Everybody is going to criticize you when it goes wrong, but you just have to make sure you stay the course and keep grinding and playing tough gritty football."
3) Pound it – Joe Mixon ran for 100 yards or more in seven different games this season. Dameon Pierce did last week. The Texans won six of those eight contests. The Chargers gave up 4.7 yards per carry when teams ran it on them this season, and only five teams allowed more in the NFL in 2024.
Mixon cracked 1,000 yards for the season on Sunday, and turned in a Pro Bowl season. Pierce's 176-yard outburst was a career high. Whether or not the Texans pump up Pierce's snap count remains to be seen. But Ryans explained how the third-year back saw things better.
"DP, of course, did a really great job, playing with great vision," Ryans said. "When the space wasn't there, he was able to create it on his own and break a really long run there. So, proud of DP for what he was able to do."
4) Close to full strength – The defense will likely welcome back tackle Foley Fatukasi from injury, and linebacker Christian Harris as well.
Harris and Azeez Al-Shaair haven't played on the field together at all this year, and Henry To'oTo'o wound up leading the Texans in tackles with 105. The linebacker corps will be at full strength with Harris, Al-Shaair and To'oTo'o all available.
Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke explained what To'oTo'o's growth this season has meant for the defense.
"(It) has allowed us to do that stuff with him and it's been invaluable," Burke said. "Because obviously we've had a lot of turnover, a lot of injuries, in-and-out guys in that room and for him to be relatively the one consistent guy that we've been able to plug in play in a lot of spots has been awesome. And do it at a high level. So, he's done a really good job. I'm excited for him to keep playing."
5) Hammer Herbert – Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was sacked 41 times in 2024. Texans defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, Jr. finished with 12 and 11 sacks, respectively, this season.
But the interior defensive line for Houston played a large part in the team setting the franchise's single season sack record with 49. Tackles Tim Settle, Mario Edwards, Jr., Tommy Togiai and Fatukasi combined for 10.5 sacks this year.
Having pressure from the middle only makes the Hunter/Anderson duo more worrisome for Herbert and company.
"They keep you up at night, these two guys," Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said. "Hunter is savvy. Just an unbelievable career to this point. All-Pro player. And if he's not, he should be. Then, you look over at Anderson: I know they did some wheeling and dealing to get him in the Draft. They felt he was that good, and they were probably right. This guy's a force to be reckoned with off the edge. They're really playing at a high level."
