HOUSTON – The Texans’ key road football game against the Los Angeles Chargers has been firmed up for a date and kickoff time.
The game at SoFi Stadium, which will have playoff implications and represents a rematch of last year’s AFC wild-card win for the Texans over the Chargers, is flexed for Saturday, Dec. 27 at 3:30 p.m. Central.
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It will be broadcast on the NFL Network.
In an incredible display of broken-play brilliance from Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud transformed an AFC wild-card playoff game against the Chargers after a rough start in a 32-12 AFC wild-card playoff victory.
Stroud, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, sparked the Texans on a busted play as he was studying the defense and took his eye off the football on the snap from center Jarrett Patterson that sailed through his hands, picking up the loose football off the hop and scrambling to the right sideline to complete an inexplicable 34-yard pass to wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson in the second quarter.
That set the stage for the Texans taking the lead and grabbing the momentum. Stroud, intercepted earlier in the game and plagued by a lost fumble by wide receiver John Metchie III on the first play from scrimmage, was off to a cold start before this bizarre turn of events. The Texans were down 6-0 late in the first half and were on a 3rd-and-16 situation at their 13-yard line.
After the lob to Hutchinson, Stroud heated up as he marched the Texans on a 13-play, 99-yard drive that included a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Nico Collins, who wasn’t targeted at all in the first quarter. Then, Stroud connected with Collins for a 13-yard red-zone touchdown pass to take the lead and never relinquished it as he marched the Texans 99 yards on 13 plays for the score.
That play, and Stroud’s 27-yard scramble, and touchdown pass to Collins sparked the Texans in a 32-12 playoff game victory at NRG Stadium.
“Even after I made the play, I was kind of mad at myself,” Stroud said. “I didn’t look at the snap, so it just went straight through my hands. I’m looking and trying to see the defense and went through my hands. Luckily, bounced right back up to me. I tried to just save the play. Hutch did a good job trusting me and I trust him, so he kept on the move.
“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. Those are the type of plays that change momentum, and a team can rally around plays like that. Shoutout to Hutch for making a great instinctual play and I just tried my best to save the play.”
A fumble by Metchie on the first play from scrimmage was followed by a punt, a punt, a Stroud pass intercepted by Deane Leonard and yet another Tommy Townsend punt.
From the touchdown onward, the offense found new life as Stroud finished the game 22 of 33 for 282 yards and one touchdown for a 90.7 passer rating. Keyed by four interceptions from the defense and running back Joe Mixon pounding the Chargers for 106 yards and one touchdown, the Texans took control after Stroud’s big plays.
This marked one of Stroud’s top performances after an up-and-down regular season.
The slow start became a memory because of Stroud’s poise.
“That’s what it looks like when your best players step up and make the plays,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “That’s what playoff football is about. That’s what being a big-time player in the league is about. Of course, you see the fumble snap and I’m just thinking, ‘Please pick the ball up.’
“And then we were able to see C.J. improvise and see Hutch keeping his eyes downfield. Having that confidence in himself and ability to avoid the rush and still keep his eyes downfield and find Hutch, that was an outstanding play. To me that was the play of the game that really created momentum for our entire team.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.