The Chargers are still looking for their first win of the season, and the bigger problem is that they haven’t covered the spread either. That’s the kind of start that leaves little room for optimism, even before they head into a Week 9 matchup with the Houston Texans.
Houston comes in off its BYE week at 2-5, which is hardly a clean record, but it’s still a season with something left to work with. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has been stuck in a far uglier place. The offense has been a mess, and now it has to deal with a Texans defense that has had extra time to prepare.
One of the clearest reasons Houston’s offense looks different when things are clicking is Nico Collins. In five games this season, he has 24 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns, which works out to 65.8 yards per game. With the Chargers’ secondary banged up, he has a real chance to put up another strong line.
That’s part of why the Chargers have become such a hard team to trust. The case against them is blunt: this is the worst offense in football, sitting last in both EPA per play and success rate. And now they’re walking into a matchup against one of the better defenses in the league, fresh off a week to get ready.
For bettors still waiting for Los Angeles to finally reward preseason expectations, the message is simple: don’t. The losing streak has become its own trend, and there’s no reason to expect this spot to change it. The Texans’ offense, meanwhile, has been effective when Collins is healthy enough to be on the field, which only sharpens the contrast in this AFC matchup.
In Other News...
DeMeco Ryans Sends Clear Message As Texans Reset After Bye
After the bye week, DeMeco Ryans made it clear the Texans are treating this stretch as a reset, not a breather. The head coach said Houston has to clean up its own mistakes and get back to the identity it wants to play with, while also revisiting some of the wrinkles in the offense, including the Jumbo formation. He also pointed to the return of offensive tackle Braden Smith as part of the conversation, with the focus squarely on fundamentals and execution.
Ryans also addressed the injury picture without offering much in the way of a timetable. Jalen Pitre, Reed Blankenship and David Montgomery have all missed recent games, and the Texans are still waiting for more clarity on when they might be back. For a team trying to sharpen its edge after the break, the next step is less about adding new ideas and more about getting the details right. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Just Lost A Young Playmaker DeMeco Ryans Counts On
The Texans took a hit to their receiver depth coming out of the Week 8 bye, placing Jaylin Noel on injured reserve after he suffered a foot injury during the break. For a team that has leaned on young contributors to help round out the offense and special teams, Noels loss is a meaningful one, especially after he had carved out a role that DeMeco Ryans valued on both sides of the ball.
Ryans pointed to Noel as a player who mattered in multiple phases, and now Houston will have to redistribute those snaps and touches elsewhere. Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Kayshon Boutte, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Tank Dell are among the options who could see more chances, but the Texans are suddenly looking at a spot that needs to be filled rather than merely rotated. [Read more 🡒]
Texans May Have To Choose Between O-Line Patience And Draft Help
As the NFL trade deadline nears, the Texans are weighing whether to keep building around their current roster or start looking for future draft capital. One possible name in that conversation is guard Wyatt Teller, whose first season in Houston has not gone as hoped after signing a two-year deal. He has mostly filled a backup role, and that has made him a candidate to be moved if the front office decides the value of a pick outweighs keeping him in the mix.
The larger issue for Houston is what kind of path it wants to take from here. The Texans are short on mid-round selections in the upcoming draft, so adding picks would help restore some flexibility if they choose to sell. At the same time, moving a veteran depth piece would signal a shift in approach, and the deadline may force the team to decide whether patience on the offensive line is worth more than the help a draft pick could bring. [Read more 🡒]