HOUSTON — Bear in mind all that speak about how lucky it was that the Chargers secured the AFC’s fifth seed so they might begin their postseason march right here?
Effectively, the Houston Texans bear in mind it too.
“Oh, that? Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Texans tight finish Dalton Schultz mentioned, feigning ignorance earlier than easing into a large smile. “I plead the fifth.”
A recap: By successful their finale, the Chargers cemented a sport in Houston, which had misplaced two of three, as a substitute of opening the playoffs within the bitter chilly of Baltimore or Buffalo.
“We heard that,” Houston defensive finish Denico Autry mentioned. “It fueled us.”
The underdog Texans clapped again in a convincing manner, rolling to a 32-12 victory Saturday and handing the Chargers their sixth one-and-done playoff efficiency since reaching the Tremendous Bowl 30 years in the past.
In all six of these fast exits, the Chargers had been favored.
Now, they’ve a whole offseason to ponder what may need been. Had they received, they might have confronted the AFC West-rival Kansas Metropolis Chiefs for a 3rd time this season, and each of their earlier conferences had been ultra-close. That’s all wistful daydreaming now.
Justin Herbert had simply three interceptions through the common season. He was picked off 4 occasions by the Texans.
That’s nothing new for Houston. It’s virtually as if the protection sees it as a private problem to convey quarterbacks again to earth, to push a pin of their balloon.
As an example, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa had seven interceptions this season, however three had been by the Texans.
Detroit’s Jared Goff was intercepted 12 occasions, 5 by Houston.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10), who was below strain by the wild-card sport, is sacked by the Texans’ Will Anderson Jr.
(Ashely Landis / Related Press)
“As a unit, we just go out there and play,” mentioned cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who picked off two of Herbert’s passes. “Simple as that. Just get the ball, that’s the name of the game.”
It helped that the Texans’ defensive entrance turned up the warmth on Herbert, sacking him 4 occasions and hitting him 5 extra. He had treasured little time to seek out his receivers.
“He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion; quarterback’s got to be able to do that,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned. “We didn’t put him in position to do that enough.”
The sport started with quite a lot of promise for the Chargers, who pushed deep into Texans territory on their first two possessions however got here away with two discipline objectives as a substitute of touchdowns. The door of alternative swung broad open for the guests, nevertheless it was solely a matter of time earlier than the house workforce slammed it shut and closed the latch.
Earlier than they awakened, the Texans ended their first 5 possessions: fumble, punt, punt, interception, punt.
Then, late within the second quarter, an enormous momentum swing encapsulated in a single play.
The Texans, who had began on their one, scrapped their method to their 17 and confronted a 3rd and 16. A nasty shotgun snap had C.J. Stroud chasing the bouncing ball and attempting to keep away from catastrophe.
Like circling sharks, Chargers defenders converged on him, with even the secondary shifting ahead. The second-year Texans quarterback latched on to the ball, rolled to his proper and coolly discovered receiver Xavier Hutchinson alone in the course of the sector for a 34-yard achieve.
That inconceivable play saved the drive alive and was a spirit-snapper for the Chargers. Stroud discovered receiver Nico Collins for a 37-yard achieve and completed with a 13-yard landing to Collins on a slant to present Houston a 7-6 lead.
The sport was significantly candy for Collins, who completed with seven catches for 122 yards, as a result of he performed for Harbaugh at Michigan. He gave his previous coach a hug after the sport.
Final week Collins had talked a few humorous reminiscence with the Wolverines, how Harbaugh completed a spring apply by doing a cannonball off the excessive dive on the college’s pool. The coach didn’t trouble to take away his cleats for the stunt. Simply jumped into the water — hat, glasses, khakis and all.
There have been no cannonballs Saturday, solely a franchise that after once more was deep-sixed.
It was a 12 months in the past that Harbaugh’s Michigan workforce received the nationwide championship in opposition to Washington on this NRG Stadium discipline, and his gamers used the identical locker room that housed the Chargers on this wild-card sport. A lot for good luck.
The Dallas Cowboys play host to a Thanksgiving sport yearly. The Texans appear to open the postseason yearly with a Saturday afternoon sport. This was the eighth time they performed a wild-card sport on this time slot.
The one-and-done Chargers, in the meantime, have established a practice of their very own. Their gamers are scheduled Sunday to wash out their lockers.
