Houston (10-5) at Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST, NFL Network
BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 2
Against the spread: Texans 8-7, Chargers 9-6
Series record: Chargers lead 6-4.
Last meeting: Texans beat Chargers 32-12 in NFC wild-card game in Houston on Jan. 11.
Last week: Texans beat Raiders 23-21; Chargers beat Cowboys 34-17.
Texans offense: overall (19), rush (23), pass (16), scoring (19).
Texans defense: overall (1), rush (4), pass (4), scoring
(1).
Chargers offense: overall (11), rush (6), pass (13), scoring (T-16).
Chargers defense: overall (3), rush (T-10), pass (6), scoring (8).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-15; Chargers plus-3.
CB Derek Stingley Jr. was selected as the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception for his first career touchdown against the Raiders. He also forced a fumble and had a pass defensed in the win. The All-Pro is tied for the team lead with four interceptions and is the only player in the NFL to have at least four interceptions in each of the past three seasons. With Sunday’s performance, he became the first player in franchise history to have a forced fumble and an interception return for a touchdown in a game.
RB Omarion Hampton had 85 yards rushing and a touchdown on 16 carries against the Cowboys, his most productive showing in three games since returning from a broken ankle. The rookie first-round pick from North Carolina has 516 yards on the ground and four total touchdowns in eight games. The Chargers will need to maintain offensive balance against the outstanding Texans defense.
Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. vs. Chargers' offensive line. Improved pass protection kept QB Justin Herbert from being sacked in Dallas, which in turn allowed the offense to have one of its best performances of the season. However, the difference in quality between the Cowboys’ pass rush and what Anderson and company will bring is stark. Anderson has a career-high 11 1/2 sacks, and his 17 tackles for loss have been just as important in creating obvious passing downs. He has a tackle for loss in 10 of the past 11 games and all seven road games this season.
Texans: RB Woody Marks and LB Azeez Al-Shaair are set to return after missing last week’s game with injuries. … LT Aireontae Ersery is listed as questionable and could miss the game with a thumb injury. … RT Trent Brown (ankle/knee) will not play.
Chargers: LT Jamaree Salyer (hamstring), return specialist Derius Davis (ankle), CB Benjamin St-Juste (shoulder) and rookie S R.J. Mickens (shoulder) have all been ruled out. … DL Teair Tart (groin) and RG Mekhi Becton (knee) are questionable. The Chargers estimated Becton would have been a full participant if they had practiced Thursday, which bodes better for his availability.
The Chargers won the most recent meeting in the regular season, leaving Houston with a 34-24 triumph on Oct. 2, 2022. … The Texans are facing the Chargers at SoFi Stadium for the first time. They came up with a 27-20 victory in September 2019 in their only other trip to Los Angeles since the Chargers left San Diego in 2017.
The Texans can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie, or a loss or tie by the Colts. … Houston’s seven-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the NFL and tied for the second longest in franchise history behind a nine-game winning streak in 2018. … DeMeco Ryans is the first head coach in franchise history to win 10 games in three consecutive seasons. … Houston’s defense leads the NFL in yards (272.3) and points (16.6) allowed. … QB C.J. Stroud has had at least 200 yards passing in five straight road games. … RB Nick Chubb had 42 yards of offense last week and had 170 yards of offense and a touchdown in his only career game against the Chargers in 2021 while with Cleveland. … WR Nico Collins had 59 yards receiving last week for his eighth straight game with at least 55 yards receiving. He had seven catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in a playoff win over the Chargers last season. … The Chargers have won 11 games in consecutive seasons for the third time in franchise history (1979-80, 2006-07). … Jim Harbaugh is one of eight NFL head coaches to have multiple 11-win seasons with two different organizations. … The Chargers defense has 13 takeaways (three fumbles, 10 interceptions) in its past six games after getting eight through its first nine games. … Justin Herbert threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys, his third game this season with multiple touchdowns passes and no interceptions. … WR Ladd McConkey needs two receptions to pass Keenan Allen (148) for most in Chargers history through a player’s first two seasons. … OLB Tuli Tuipulotu got his 13th sack of the season versus the Cowboys. He can become the fifth player in Chargers history with 14 or more in a season (Khalil Mack, Shawne Merriman, Leslie O’Neal, Lee Williams). … S Derwin James Jr. needs one sack to become the third player in NFL history with 600 tackles, 20 sacks and 10 interceptions in his first 100 games (Roquan Smith, Karlos Dansby).
Facing two of the strongest rush defenses in the league, neither Omarion Hampton nor Woody Marks is likely to put up big numbers on the ground. Desperate fantasy owners with limited options will have to gamble that either tailback could make up for it as outlets in the passing game, as Marks was a tremendous receiver in college and Hampton has displayed good hands in his first season.
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