Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans: Box score, player stats, and summary feat. Justin Herbert, C. J. Stroud

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.

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.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans box score

Team	First Quarter	Second Quarter	Third Quarter	Fourth Quarter	Final Score
Los Angeles Chargers	6	0	0	6	12
Houston Texans	0	10	10	12	32

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

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

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

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

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

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