Not a bad homecoming for C.J. Stroud.
One could call it, historic?
Stroud, a native of Los Angeles, threw for a season-high 384 yards and tied his career high in touchdown passes with five as the Houston Texans rolled past theLos Angeles Chargers in a 44-22 victory at SoFi Stadium. Despite a slow offensive start, Houston found a rhythm in the second quarter and never looked back.
Stroud, who wanted to see an uptick in consistency after Week 7's overtime loss to the New York Giants, threw an early pick on a pass that was batted at the line of scrimmage. He missed Nico Collins on a third-down conversion and overthrew Marvin Harrison Jr. in the second quarter.
Outside of that, the former No. 2 overall pick looked like the quarterback that was promised
back when drafted out of Ohio State in 2023. He connected with four different receivers, including twice with Kayshon Boutte for touchdown passes. Six passes went for gains of over 20-plus yards and were recorded as explosives.
The Texans punted with less than two minutes in the second quarter. Kai Kroeger would only take the field one more time for the rest of the afternoon.
How did Nico Collins make this TD catch? 😳
— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2026
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For as good as Stroud was, the Texans' defense delivered a much-needed, jolt-worthy performance while attacking Justin Herbert. The Chargers' quarterback, who entered Sunday as the second-most-hit passer through eight weeks, took over at No. 1 as Houston's defense recorded a season-high eight sacks, including two each by Sheldon Rankins and Jadeveon Clowney.
Entering the third quarter, Los Angeles tried to get something moving in the passing game, but an interception by Derek Stingley Jr. stopped a chance for a scoring drive. On the flip side, Stroud found Nico Collins, who made an impressive one-handed catch for a 13-yard touchdown grab, only extending Houston's lead by 26.
But perhaps the best moment of the day came with Tank Dell's arrival back on the field. After missing nearly two seasons with a severe leg injury suffered in 2024, Dell didn't seem to miss a beat, hauling in four passes for 105 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
Boutte call. pic.twitter.com/B0ZHbvOeIR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2026
Entering the trade deadline on Tuesday, the Texans will have questions to answer about their future and the potential of moves that need to be made. But a win proves the season isn't dead. It's still far from trending toward a Super Bowl berth, but a 3-5 record could be the tool to ignite life in a promising roster entering the second half of the season.
The Texans hit the road next week to take on the Cleveland Browns at Noon.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Recap: Texans' offense ignites behind 5 TD performance from C.J. Stroud in win vs. Chargers
