As the Houston Texans prepare for their wild-card round matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, most pundits aren’t giving the AFC South champions much hope to advance.
First-year Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t one of those doubting Houston’s potential in a winner-take-all showdown. He understands that at their peak, the Texans can cause defensive fits for Justin Herbert and a surging Chargers offense.
“Defensively, really good,” Harbaugh said following Sunday’s Week 18 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. “Really good against the run, not a lot of people running the ball on them. They’re playing really well on the back end.”
#Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on what he’s seen from the #Texans
“Yeah, yeah, really good, really good. I’ve started to look and defensively really, really good. Really good against the run*. I mean not a lot of people running the ball on them. They’re playing really well in… pic.twitter.com/tVoC3SoXtF
— sidelinesarah (@sidelinesarah) January 6, 2025
Fresh off a 23-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the Texans might have refound their mojo. The defense recorded four sacks and scored a 36-yard fumble recovery thanks to defensive tackle Derek Barnett.
Offensively, Nico Collins and Joe Mixon made headlines on the opening drive, each surpassing 1,000 yards receiving and rushing on the season. Dameon Pierce also provided a spark on the ground with his 176-yard rushing performance.
You can feel HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman’s fingerprints all over the physicality of Los Angeles’ team.
Not unlike the Texans, the Chargers want to run through you with zero remorse.
Ample opportunity for Azeez Al-Shaair to shine in his first full game back #HTownMade pic.twitter.com/NfiiuxPJxP
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) January 6, 2025
The headline of Saturday’s showdown will be between C.J. Stroud and Herbert. The last time Houston fans saw the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, he went 6-of-6 passing for 53 yards and a touchdown.
“C.J. Stroud is really elite,” Harbaugh said. “Nico Collins is elite. They’ve got great playmakers, great competitors. It’s gonna take our A-game. We’ll turn all our preparation and focus towards the Texans. I know we’re gonna have to play good, that I can tell ya.”
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans credits Jim Harbaugh’s “imprint” for immediately showing up when you watch the Chargers. Praised the efficiency of the Chargers.
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) January 6, 2025
With a win, the Texans would advance to the divisional round for the second time under DeMeco Ryans. In a similar situation to Saturday’s contest, the Cleveland Browns entered Houston as a 3-point favorite and a better record.
That didn’t stop Stroud from setting a playoff record en route to a 45-14 victory at NRG Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on CBS and Paramount+.