C.J. Stroud and the Texans didn’t just beat the Chargers on Sunday - they buried them.
Houston rolled to a 44-22 win in a game that never really felt competitive, with Stroud carving up Los Angeles for 384 yards and five touchdowns. The Texans are now 3-5 after opening the season 0-4, and they’ve won three of their last four.
Next up are the Browns, Colts and Ravens, a stretch that will say plenty about whether this surge is real. The Chargers, meanwhile, dropped to 0-8 and are still headed toward the No. 1 overall pick.
Stroud’s touchdown passes came from all over the field: a 17-yarder to Xavier Hutchinson, a 63-yarder to Tank Dell, a 12-yarder to Kayshon Boutte, a 13-yarder to Nico Collins and another 63-yard strike to Boutte. Boutte finished with four catches for 125 yards, while Dell added four receptions for 105 yards and his first touchdown since December 2024.
Houston also controlled the game on the ground and in the trenches. Woody Marks carried 18 times for 70 yards, and the Texans piled up 485 total yards to the Chargers’ 315.
The pass rush was relentless. Houston sacked Justin Herbert eight times, with Will Anderson, Sheldon Rankins and Jadeveon Clowney each getting two. Herbert took a hit from Logan Hall in the fourth quarter and injured the middle finger on his left hand.
Herbert finished 13 of 23 for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Keaton Mitchell also lost a fumble.
Even after the injury, Herbert stayed in and connected with Quentin Johnston on a 58-yard touchdown that snapped a streak of 38 possessions without a touchdown. Before that, the Chargers’ last score had come with 57 seconds left in the third quarter against the Broncos on Oct. 11, when Kimani Vidal broke free for a 42-yard run in a 23-17 loss.
Los Angeles was also without Ladd McConkey, who had back spasms in pregame warmups and did not play.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert's Sudden Exit Changed The Texans Conversation Fast
Justin Herberts night changed in a hurry during the Chargers Week 9 matchup with the Texans, and it shifted the tone of the game almost immediately. After evading a sack, Herbert appeared to injure his left middle finger, then finished the drive before heading to the sideline and not returning. For Houston, it was the kind of sudden development that can alter both the feel of a game and the way a defense approaches the rest of the night.
DJ Uiagalelei stepped in for Los Angeles and wasted little time making an impact, leading the next drive and throwing his first career touchdown pass. For the Texans, the challenge became less about facing Herbert and more about adjusting to a different quarterback dynamic on the fly, with the game suddenly taking on a new shape after one awkward moment in the pocket. [Read more 🡒]
Fairbairn Gives Texans One Advantage Chargers Really Need To Worry About
Kaimi Fairbairns October has given Houston a quiet edge that can change how an offense is called on the fly. He has been perfect on his field goal tries this month, including several from long range, and that run earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors. For a Texans team looking for every small advantage, that kind of reliability matters because it gives the offense more room to operate before it reaches a true do-or-die moment.
For Houstons offensive coordinator, Fairbairns range can open up more aggressive choices on third down, especially in a game where field position and efficiency could shape the plan. The Texans and Chargers both come in with records that make this one feel important, but Los Angeles has also had its share of offensive struggles, which only adds to the value of a kicker who can punish mistakes from distance. [Read more 🡒]
Tank Dell Just Gave Texans Fans A Reason To Get Excited
Tank Dells return has been building toward a moment like this, and it arrived against the Chargers when the Texans receiver turned a C.J. Stroud throw into a 63-yard touchdown. It was the kind of play that reminded everyone why Dell mattered so much to Houstons offense before a severe leg injury kept him out for nearly two years, and why the Texans have been eager to see what he can do once he gets back into the flow.
Dell finished the first half with two catches for 66 yards and a score, a promising start for a player still working his way back into game shape. DeMeco Ryans said Dells workload should keep growing as he continues to recover and stack reps, which makes this early burst feel like more than a one-off highlight for a team that could use every bit of explosiveness it can get. [Read more 🡒]