The Houston Texans have plenty of doubters entering their Saturday showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dallas Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons is one of the vocal oppressors.
While Parsons might have a close-knit relationship with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, he also is a competitor. From a competitive standpoint, the fourth-year do-it-all defender is quite confident that the AFC South champions are down and out before kickoff.
“I’m going with the Chargers,” Parsons said during the latest episode of his podcast ‘The Edge With Micah Parsons.’ “I think the Chargers have the most momentum going into this game. Their defense [has] been playing lights out. You know, you look at it, Justin Herbert’s been playing great.”
#Cowboys LB Micah Parsons playoff pick for #Chargers at #Texans
“I’m going with the Chargers. I think the Chargers have the most momentum going into this game. Their defense been playing lights out. You know, you look at it, Justin Herbert’s been playing great. I just… pic.twitter.com/CZnEk9bgyu
— sidelinesarah (@sidelinesarah) January 7, 2025
Parsons gave credit to Houston (10-7) for winning the AFC South, but also pointed out that the team initially built to hang with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens has changed since Week 1.
“Texans [are] another team who’s battled injuries, but I think the Chargers are gonna win this game. I’m going take the Chargers.”
Parsons might be a rival toward the opposing Lone Star State roster, but his logic is far from flawed. Houston’s dealt with a slew of significant injuries, including the season-ending losses of receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, defensive back Jalen Pitre and safety Jimmie Ward.
Houston limped into the bye week after 13 straight games and also closed out December with two losses to playoff-bound rosters.
Meanwhile. the Chargers have been one of the league’s hottest teams, closing out the regular season with three straight wins, including double-digit wins over the Raiders and Patriots.
While Parsons can predict Houston will be a one-and-done in the postseason, at least the other Texas team made it. What did the Cowboys finish this year after shoring up the No. 2 seed a season ago?
Hopefully the 7-10 record is enough to satisfy Parsons. Houston, meanwhile, looks to shock the world on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at NRG Stadium.
They’re all bought in, even if Parsons has sold his stock.
“Noise is always going to be there,” Stroud said. “It’s a part of sports. It’s always evident in this sport. They said the same thing about us last year when we played the Browns (in the playoffs). I’m not saying it’s last year, but we went out there and did what we had to do to win. ”