The Texans hosted their first playoff game since 2019 - Source: Getty
The Los Angeles Chargers and the Houston Texans kicked off the 2024 NFL playoffs, with the AFC Wild Card Round kicking off between seeds #4 and #5. Although Los Angeles had the best regular season record (11-6 to 10-7), Houston hosted the game as a division winner.
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A nervous contest had both offensive lines suffering. The Texans' aggressive pass rush had the best of the Chargers' offensive line; on the other hand, even though the Chargers' pass rush isn't as strong, the challenge was easier, as the hosts have one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
Jim Harbaugh's team led for almost the entire first half, but a late touchdown from C. J. Stroud to Nico Collins changed the history of the game. The Texans absolutely dominated the second half, and on the back of a great defensive performance, advanced to the AFC Divisional Round.
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Los Angeles Chargers box score
Quarterback
Quarterback
Passing Yds
Completions
Pass Atts
Pass TDs
INTs
Rush yds
Rush att
Justin Herbert
242
14
32
1
4
0
0
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The most telling stat about this game is that in a single playoff game, Justin Herbert had more interceptions (4) than he had in the entire regular season (3). The Chargers quarterback suffered from drops and a poor receiving cast, but he also put the ball in harm's way more than he should, costing his team a fair chance.
Rushing and receiving
Player
Rush Attempts
Rushing Yards
Rushing TDs
Receptions
Receiving Yards
Receiving TDs
J.K. Dobbins
9
26
0
0
0
0
Gus Edwards
7
22
0
0
0
0
Derius Davis
1
-3
0
1
4
0
Ladd McConkey
0
0
0
9
197
0
Will Dissly
0
0
0
2
16
0
Tucker Fisk
0
0
0
1
15
0
DJ Chark
0
0
0
1
10
0
Hassan Haskins
1
5
0
0
0
0
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Apart from Jim Harbaugh's arrival, the best thing for Los Angeles in 2024 was the emergence of rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who shone in his playoff debut despite the Chargers' loss. Unfortunately for him, he got virtually no help, with second-year wide receiver Quentin Johnston registering no catches in five targets.
Defense
Player
Tackles (Total)
Sacks
Interceptions
Derwin James
7
0
0
Alohi Gilman
10
0
0
Daiyan Henley
10
0
0
Khalil Mack
6
2
0
Poona Ford
3
0
0
Tarheeb Still
3
0
0
Joey Bosa
2
1
0
Denzel Perryman
2
0
0
Josh Harris
1
0
0
Eddie Jackson
1
0
0
Kristian Fulton
3
0
0
Teair Tart
3
0
0
Junior Colson
4
0
0
Troy Dye
8
0
0
Deane Leonard
0
0
1
Tony Jefferson
3
0
0
Morgan Fox
0
0
0
Josh Harris
1
0
0
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Houston Texans box score
Quarterback
Quarterback
Passing Yds
Completions
Pass Atts
Pass TDs
INTs
Rush yds
Rush att
C. J. Stroud
282
22
33
1
1
42
6
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Stroud seemed to be out of sync for most of the first half, but his performance improved as the game went on. He had a great second half and led his team in plenty of short fields. It was a mature game and he certainly helped his team more than Herbert.
Rushing and receiving
Player
Rush Attempts
Rushing Yards
Rushing TDs
Receptions
Receiving Yards
Receiving TDs
Joe Mixon
25
106
1
1
13
0
Nico Collins
0
0
0
7
122
1
Xavier Hutchinson
0
0
0
1
34
0
John Metchie
0
0
0
4
28
0
Dalton Schultz
0
0
0
2
23
0
Robert Woods
0
0
0
2
22
0
Cade Stover
0
0
0
4
28
0
Dameon Pierce
2
15
0
0
0
0
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Joe Mixon exploded in the second half with many important rushes, and the Chargers' run defense, one of their biggest strengths, could not handle the running back as he wore them out. A late touchdown settled the game in favor of Houston.
Defense
Player
Tackles (Total)
Sacks
Interceptions
Azeez Al-Shaair
6
0
0
Henry To'oTo'o
6
0
0
Eric Murray
7
0
1
Myles Bryant
3
0
0
Folorunso Fatukasi
2
0
0
Danielle Hunter
3
0
0
Kamari Lassiter
2
0
1
Calen Bullock
3
0
0
Dare Ogunbowale
1
0
0
Derek Barnett
1
0
0
Derek Stingley Jr
4
0
2
Christian Harris
1
0
0
Mario Edwards Jr.
2
1.5
0
M.J. Stewart
1
0
0
Del'Shawn Phillips
1
0
0
Denico Autry
1
1
0
Will Anderson
3
1.5
0
Juice Scruggs
1
0
0
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About the author
Henrique Bulio
Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.
Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.
If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.
Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.
Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.
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