INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — C.J. Stroud threw for two long touchdowns on Houston's first two drives of the game, and the Texans went on to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-16 on Saturday and clinch a third consecutive playoff berth for the first time in franchise history.
The Texans (11-5) won their eighth in a row, their longest such streak since winning nine straight in 2018.
The Chargers (11-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped and handed the AFC
West title to idle Denver. They beat the first-place Broncos in Week 3, but blew a chance to set up a winner-take-all showdown in Denver in Week 18.
The Chargers got knocked out of the playoffs in a wild-card loss to Houston last season.
Stroud's two explosive TDs stunned the Chargers and gave Houston a 14-0 lead. On his first pass of the game, he hit Jayden Higgins for a 75-yard score against busted coverage. Stroud wasn't pressured when he threw a 43-yard TD to Jaylin Noel, who wasn't covered.
The Chargers had allowed just one TD pass of 40 or more yards in their last 15 games.
Stroud completed his first six throws of the game. He finished 16 of 28 for 244 yards and two interceptions.
Houston's defense forced third-down sacks of Justin Herbert on the Chargers' first two possessions. They were three-and-out on three of their first four possessions, quieting the SoFi Stadium crowd.
Playing his third game with a broken left (non-throwing) hand, Herbert was 21 for 32 for 236 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked five times.
Derwin James Jr. intercepted Stroud in the second quarter, but the Chargers only managed a 27-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker on the turnover to trail 14-3. Another interception of Stroud failed to produce any points despite both miscues coming in Houston territory.
Herbert was intercepted by Azeez Al-Shaair at the Houston 1-yard line. The ball, intended for Oronde Gadsden, popped off his hands and Al-Shaair came down with it for his second interception of the season. Gadsden held his face in his hands on the bench.
Dicker missed a field goal from under 40 yards for the first time in his career just before halftime, leaving the Chargers trailing 14-3. He later was wide left to miss his first point after attempt of the season on the Chargers' final drive after Omarion Hamption's 5-yard TD run made it 20-16.
Ka'imi Fairbairn had field goals of 41 and 44 yards for Houston.
The Chargers closed to 17-10 after a wild drive in which Herbert was sacked twice and threw two incompletions before finding Gadsden in the back of the end zone for a 1-yard TD in the third.
Texans: CB Kamari Lassiter (knee) left in the second quarter and later returned.
Chargers: RB Hassan Haskins was evaluated for a head injury in the fourth.
Texans: Play Indianapolis to end the regular season.
Chargers: Visit Denver to end the regular season.
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