Riding on a 38-yard pick-six from C.J. Stroud and Eric Murray, the Houston Texans advanced to the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs with a 32-12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Wild Card Weekend.
At the end of a turnover-filled first half, Stroud recovered a fumbled kickoff to start a drive that ended with him throwing a pass to Nico Collins for a touchdown, both for himself and the pinned Texans. Brought energy.
The Texans scored 23 points against the struggling Chargers, but quarterback Justin Herbert was intercepted four times, including a key six to Murray point.
Ladd McConkey’s incredible 86-yard touchdown run had the potential to spark a Chargers comeback late in the fourth quarter, but when Cameron Dicker’s extra-point attempt was blocked by the Texas cornerback Their hopes were immediately dashed when D’Angelo Ross blocked and returned a two-point play.
Statistics Leader
Los Angeles Chargers
- pass: Justin Herbert, 14/32, 242 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT
- rush: JK Dobbins, 9 carries, 26 yards.
- take over: Ladd McConkey, 9 catches, 197 yards, 1 touchdown
houston texans
- pass: CJ Stroud, 22/33, 282 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- rush: Joe Mixon, 25 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD
- take over: Nico Collins, 7 catches, 122 yards, 1 TD
What to do next?
The Texans advance to the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend, where their most likely opponent is the back-to-back Super Bowl champions and No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs.
Wild Card Weekend continues Sunday night with the Buffalo Bills hosting the Denver Broncos starting at 6 p.m., followed by the Green Bay Packers taking on the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On Monday night, Sam Darnold’s Minnesota Vikings take on the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday at 1 a.m., live on Sky Sports .