The Texans vs Chargers Week 9 matchup sends Houston (2-5) to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday to face a Los Angeles team still looking for its first win at 0-7. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, with the biggest question hanging over the afternoon simple: can the Chargers find any way to avoid an 0-8 start before their bye, or does a Houston offense that has scored at least 26 points in three of its last five games pull away again.
Texans Vs Chargers Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
- Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
- TV: CBS
- Weather: 88°F
Can The Chargers’ Winless Skid Actually End Here
Los Angeles has lost seven straight games to open the season, the only winless team in the league, and has been outscored 99-175 across those games. The Chargers have dropped their last five by a combined margin of 46 points, including a 24-9 loss at the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 1. Justin Herbert has thrown 10 interceptions against just five touchdown passes this season, and the offense is averaging only 14.1 points per game. Houston’s defense has forced a turnover in every game it has won this season, and with a plus-3 turnover differential compared to the Chargers’ minus-6, the Texans could be the right opponent to extend the skid rather than end it.
What Is Houston’s Offense Doing Differently Since The Bye-Area Stretch
C.J. Stroud has completed 160 of 247 passes for 1,867 yards with 11 touchdowns against just one interception, giving him a passer rating of 100.3 on the season. That single interception, compared to Herbert’s 10, is the clearest statistical gap in this matchup.
Houston is averaging 266.7 passing yards and 23.6 points per game, well ahead of the Chargers’ 199.7 passing yards and 14.1 points allowed per game on the stat sheet. Nico Collins leads the Texans with 24 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns and is expected to remain Stroud’s top target if he is active.
Who Is Banged Up And How Does It Affect The Lineups
Houston running back David Montgomery is listed as Out with a groin injury and is not expected to return until at least Nov. 15, which puts more work on Woody Marks, who has 271 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries this season. Safety Reed Blankenship is questionable with a concussion. Linebacker Jake Hummel (groin, injured reserve) and cornerback Jaylin Smith (hamstring, injured reserve) remain sidelined for Houston, along with wide receiver Jaylin Noel, who is out following toe surgery with no expected return before February.
For the Chargers, tight end David Njoku and linebacker Denzel Perryman are both on injured reserve. Wide receiver Brenen Thompson is doubtful with a quadriceps injury, while safety Kendall Williamson and cornerback Rodney Shelley are both questionable with leg injuries. Those absences thin out an already struggling Los Angeles defense that has allowed opponents to average 23.6 points a game against this Texans attack specifically if recent offensive form holds.
Houston Texans Outlook
Houston sits at 2-5 and second in the AFC South, 170 points allowed against 165 scored on the season. The Texans have split their last five games, with wins over Tennessee (26-3) and Jacksonville (34-31) sandwiched around an overtime loss to the New York Giants. Stroud’s 7.5 yards per pass attempt and 100.3 passer rating reflect a passing attack that has taken care of the football, with only one interception on 248 attempts. The run game has been less productive at 3.6 yards per carry, putting more weight on Stroud and Collins to generate offense.
Los Angeles Chargers Outlook
Los Angeles is 0-7 and last in the AFC West, having been outscored by 76 points on the season. The Chargers’ 35.05% third-down conversion rate and minus-6 turnover differential point to a unit that struggles to sustain drives and protect the football. Omarion Hampton has rushed for 309 yards and three touchdowns on 89 carries, giving the offense a run-game piece, but Herbert’s 10 interceptions against five touchdown passes have made it difficult for Los Angeles to stay competitive in close games.
Key Matchup
Houston’s offensive line, which has allowed just 2.1 sacks per game, faces a Chargers pass rush that has recorded 12 sacks as a team through seven games, a rate of 1.7 per game. If Stroud has time in the pocket, his 7.5 yards per attempt and 11 touchdown-to-one interception ratio give Houston a clear path to extend scoring drives. Los Angeles will need its front seven to generate more pressure than it has managed this season to disrupt Stroud’s rhythm and force the kind of mistakes that have plagued Herbert on the other side of the ball.
Players To Watch
C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans
Stroud has thrown 11 touchdowns against one interception this season and is expected to start for Houston.
Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
Herbert has thrown 10 interceptions this season, tied for among the league’s highest totals, and is expected to start as Los Angeles looks to snap its losing streak.
Nico Collins, WR, Texans
Collins leads Houston with 329 receiving yards and three touchdowns and is projected to see a heavy target share if he is active Sunday.
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