One play doesn’t define a season, but it can define a game.
But how many times do a fumble actually help an offense? Well, that was the case for Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers.
And yes, the Texans believe that was the play needed to give Houston life.
“To me that was the play of the game that really created momentum for our entire team,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after Houston secured a 32-12 win against the Chargers in the wild-card round.
The momentum shift happened within seconds deep inside the Texans’ territory. Facing a 3rd-and-16, the Texans appeared ready to punt again if they couldn’t connect.
But Stroud watched as the drive went from bad to word. He completely missed Jarrett Patterson’s snap in the shotgun as the ball rolled free at the Texans’ 5-yard line.
Stroud somehow scooped up the loose ball and sprinted toward the sidelined. He managed to plant his feet and uncork a pass before the Chargers’ pass rush could reach him.
Waiting at mid-filed was Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain.
“JUST LIKE THEY DREW IT UP!”
C.J. Stroud makes things happen after the bad snap 
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— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025
“After we made the completion, I looked at the sideline and everybody was turned up, and that turned me up, because I was still kind of mad at myself,” Stroud said.
That was the spark missing for weeks with the first-team offense. Two plays later, Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 39-yard strike. With 58 seconds remaining in the half, Stroud found Collins again, only this time for a 13-yard score to give Houston the 7-6 lead.
“Those are the type of plays that change momentum, and a team can rally around plays like that,” Stroud said.
After that fumble that almost decided the game, Houston was in control. Stroud finished the afternoon with 282 passing yards and a touchdown. Collins set a playoff record with 122 receiving yards off seven catches.
Meanwhile, the defense forced three more interceptions against Chargers QB Justin Herbert, thus helping Houston never trail again.
DeMeco Ryans said QB CJ Stroud fumbled play turned 34-yard completion to X.Hutchinson “sparked the team.”
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) January 12, 2025
And it was all made possible by a play that wasn’t supposed to ever happen with a receiver at the right place after not giving up on a play.
“Shoutout to Hutch for making a great instinctual play and I just tried my best to save the play,” Stroud laughed.
The Texans travel to Arrowhead Stadium next week to take on the Kanas City Chiefs in the divisional round.