Tag: Texans wild card

Texans defense makes history in wild-card round win over Chargers

The Houston Texans continue to make history in the postseason after a dominant outing against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Houston Texans have a knack for making history during the early rounds of the playoffs.

Saturday at NRG Stadium was no different against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. 

In a 32-12 win over the breakout Bolts’ roster, the Texans became the fifth team to record four interceptions, an interception return for a touchdown and four sacks in a playoff game win, according to ESPN Research.

The last three teams to accomplish that feat in the playoffs were the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 1989 San Francisco 49ers.

What doe all those all those teams have in common? The trio hoisted up a Lombardi Trophy after moving on to the Super Bowl.

“Our defense, they dominated today,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “That’s who we want to be. They played our brand of football. They stopped the run first. That’s what I’m most proud of how we stop the run. And when we stop the run, you make a team one-dimensional, and that’s when our defensive line just causes havoc.”

Houston started the turnover-filled day with a Kamari Lassiter interception during the second quarter. With 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Herbert overshot rookie receiver Ladd McConkey, leading to a 36-yard return for a touchdown by Eric Murray.

During the fourth quarter, Herbert was intercepted on back-to-back drives by Derek Stingley Jr., including the nail in the coffin on Los Angeles’ final drive.

The defense allowed a field goal on the Chargers’ first two drives then stiffened up to buy the Texans’ offense time as it struggled for the first five possessions. After that, Houston scored on four straight drives to build a two-touchdown lead entering the final seven minutes.

“When we stop the run, you make a team one-dimensional, and that’s when our defensive line just causes havoc,” Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson said.

Herbert became the first full-time starter in NFL history to have more interceptions in a playoff game than in the regular season. The Texans pressured the Pro Bowl passer on 39% of his dropbacks as he went 1-for-10 for 17 yards with an interception under duress.

“That’s the complementary football that we been looking for and we been needing as a team,” Ryans said. “Just outstanding performance on all three phases. Really proud of all our guys.” 

Houston travels to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and ABC.

WATCH: Texans WR Tank Dell back with team for playoff run

Tank Dell is in the house for Saturday’s wild-card round showdown with the Houston Texans.

Tank Dell is back with the Houston Texans.

Well, he’s not suiting up, but he’ll be on the sidelines as the AFC South champions look to extend their season another week with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Dell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 16’s road loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, returned to NRG Stadium for the first time since being carted off at Arrowhead Stadium.

He wasn’t alone. Fellow receiver Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL in Week 8, was seen walking outside the tunnel with Dell during the pregame. The second-year receiver was on a pair of crutches while putting little weight on his leg.

As he took the field, Dell was embraced by quarterback C.J. Stroud for a heartfelt moment. The speed threat is expected to miss most of the 2025 season due to multiple surgeries.

Still,any sign of progress is a positive one. The Texans made sure to make Dell feel welcome, wearing custom shirts honoring their favorite teammate.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Houston Texans schedule: Are the Texans playing today? 

Are the Texans playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule entering Week 18.

The Houston Texans will take the field Saturday afternoon to advance to the AFC Divisional Round if they can secure a win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Houston, which secured its second 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans, should be near full strength after resting starters in the second half against the Tennessee Titans. Linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris are both cleared to play while Houston should have defensive end Will Anderson Jr. back at 100%.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back double-digit victories to close out Year 1 under Jim Harbaugh. The combination of Ladd McConkey and Justin Herbert has been lethal on early downs, thus leading to a more vertical passing game with second-year target Quentin Johnston.

With a win, Houston would improve to 6-2 all-time on wild-card weekend. The Texans would also extend their playoff home winning streak to three games.

NFL Playoff picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions 

However, Los Angeles is the favorite entering Saturday’s contest, with some lines up to a near touchdown. Should the Texans win, they’ll likely travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 16 rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Houston Texans 2024 schedule

  • Week 1: at Indianapolis (W, 29-27)
  • Week 2: vs. Chicago (W, 19-13)
  • Week 3: at Minnesota (L, 34-7)
  • Week 4: vs. Jacksonville (W, 24-20)
  • Week 5: vs. Buffalo (W, 23-20)
  • Week 6: at New England (W, 41-21)
  • Week 7: at Green Bay (L, 24-22)
  • Week 8: vs. Indianapolis (W, 23-20)
  • Week 9: at New York Jets (L, 21-13)
  • Week 10: vs. Detroit (L, 26-23)
  • Week 11: at Dallas (W, 34-10)
  • Week 12: vs. Tennessee (L, 32-27)
  • Week 13: at Jacksonville (W, 23-20)
  • Week 14: Bye
  • Week 15: vs. Miami (W, 20-12)
  • Week 16: at Kansas City (L, 27-19)
  • Week 17: vs. Baltimore (L,31-2)
  • Week 18: at Tennessee (W, 23-17)
  • Record: 10-7

History on Texans side in wild-card round because of kickoff time

Believe it or not, the Houston Texans should be thankful for the early wild-card kickoff time vs. the Chargers.

Some might view an early kickoff time in the playoffs as an insult.

For the Houston Texans, it feels natural heading into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. kick against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Texans return to the postseason for the eighth time in franchise history. For the eighth time, they’ll be the first game of the afternoon, airing this season on CBS and Paramount+.

That’s not a negative when looking at the team’s success on Saturdays. While the Texans are still trying to advance to their first-ever conference championship, they’re 5-2 all-time on wild-card round week and are currently riding a three.

Fresh off a 23-14 win over the Tennessee Titans, Houston has regained a much-welcomed spark. Expectations from the outside are quite dim, but internally, players still see a path to New Orleans and potentially a Super Bowl title.

“We’re going to bring our style of football, our brand of football on Saturday regardless of what any one of those talking heads’ opinion is about us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It really doesn’t drive or change our approach.”

Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s struggled to regain the pedigree of his rookie season, said he’s embracing being counted out before a whistle has even blown.

“I kind of like being the underdog,” Stroud said. “I’ve been the underdog a lot of my life and my career, so it’s actually comfortable for me.”

With a win, the Texans would improve to 6-7 all-time in postseason games. Barring an upset, Houston would return to Arrowhead for a redemption arc tale against the Kansas City Chiefs.