Chargers vs. Texans score, live updates: Wild-card weekend opens with Los Angeles and Houston facing off
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The 2024-25 NFL playoffs are here and the festivities get started in Houston, where the 10-7 AFC South champion Texans host the 11-6 wild-card Los Angeles Chargers. This is a familiar position for the Texans — aside from what’s become a seemingly regular Saturday afternoon wild-card TV slot — in that they were in this same spot last year, opening the playoffs at home. Last January, Houston clobbered the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in C.J. Stroud’s first playoff game and he was solid, throwing for 267 yards with three touchdown passes.
Justin Herbert has made just one career playoff start, and it’s one that Chargers fans would like to forget. L.A. was last seen in the playoffs in January 2023, blowing a 27-7 third-quarter lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars to lose 31-30 on a last-second field goal. This time, though, the Chargers’ defense may be better suited for a road challenge — the unit led the league, allowing just 17.7 points per game this season, and the Chargers did not allow any of their nine road opponents to score more than 20 points on their own home field.
How to watch Chargers vs. Texans AFC wild-card game
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET Location: NRG Stadium | Houston Channel: CBS Streaming: Paramount+, Fubo
Live48 updates
Justin Herbert has been bad against pressure today
Justin Herbert is 1-of-10 for 17 yards vs. pressure today.
The Chargers forced Houston into a 3-and-out. But on the first play of the next possession, Justin Herbert is picked off by Eric Murray and he runs it back for a touchdown.
Texans 20, Chargers 6 with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
CBS’ NFL crew gets slimed – sort of
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn got slimed on the Nickelodeon broadcast, albeit digitally.
Another 3-and-out for Chargers
The Chargers can’t answer Houston’s field goal. Justin Herbert is sacked on 3rd-and-6 by Denico Autry for a six-yard loss and L.A. has to punt.
JK Scott kicks it 36 yards and the Texans take over at their 37-yard line.
Field goal: Texans 13, Chargers 6
An offsides penalty on Joey Bosa with a 13-yard catch by Joe Mixon and 12-yard reception from Diontae Johnson moves Houston back into field goal range.
On 4th-and-10 from the L.A. 19, Ka’imi Fairbairn kicks a 37-yard field goal.
2nd-and-40 for Houston
A holding penalty on Blake Fisher pushes the Texans back another 10 yards. Houston has a 2nd-and-40 from the Chargers’ 49-yard line.
Derwin James interception overturned
Check that! On replay review, Derwin James was ruled to have not caught the ball on his interception.
However, Joe Mixon is called for an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play which pushes Houston back to the 39-yard line.
C.J. Stroud intercepted in end zone
Houston was driving toward another touchdown after Joe Mixon carries the ball twice for 27 yards. But a holding penalty on Tytus Howard pushes the ball back from the 14-yard line to the 24.
On the next play, C.J. Stroud is intercepted in the end zone by Derwin James, who returns it 59 yards to the Texans’ 46-yard line.
Chargers fail on 4th down
L.A. went for it on 4th-and-2 from the Texans’ 34-yard line. But Justin Herbert’s pass to Quentin Johnston goes for only one yard, and the Chargers turn it over.
Gus Edwards gained eight yards on the first two plays of the possession. Yet he was stopped for no gain on 3rd-and-2. The Chargers opted not to give him the ball one more time.
One play, 32 yards
Justin Herbert connects with Ladd McConkey for a 17-yard pass on 1st-and-10, and 15 more yards are tacked on due to a facemask penalty on Derek Stingley.
Texans fumble, Chargers recover
Following that 41-yard gain, Joe Mixon fumbles. The Texans appeared to be attempting a halfback pass. Tony Jefferson ripped the ball out for the turnover.
The Chargers recover the ball at their own 26.
Stroud to Collins for 41 yards
The C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins connection is staying hot as the second half begins. Stroud hits Collins for a 41-yard gain on 3rd-and-5.
That moves Houston to the Chargers’ 24-yard line.
Texans open 2nd half on offense
The Texans won the opening coin toss and deferred, so they begin the second half on offense.
CBS’ studio crew overlooks Dirty Bubble influence
The “NFL Today” studio crew overlooked Jim Harbaugh being overtaken by the Dirty Bubble early in the second quarter. Thankfully, the Nickelodeon broadcast was all over it.
The Texans do indeed get a field goal before halftime.
A five-yard run from Dare Ogunbowale followed by a nine-yard catch by Robert Woods moves the ball to the Chargers’ 23-yard line. With three seconds left, Houston sends Ka’imi Fairbairn out there for a 41-yard kick and he hits it.
C.J. Stroud scrambles for 27 yards
A field goal definitely looks in play for the Texans after C.J. Stroud gains 27 yards on a scramble.
That advances the ball to the Chargers’ 37-yard line and probably within Ka’imi Fairbairn’s range.
3-and-out for Chargers
The Chargers can’t get a first down before halftime with Justin Herbert throwing three incompletions.
JK Scott kicks a 48-yard punt and Robert Woods returns it 10 yards to the Houston 32-yard line.
The Texans might have a chance to add more points here before halftime.
TOUCHDOWN: Texans 7, Chargers 6
The Texans finish off a 99-yard drive in 13 plays with C.J. Stroud hitting Nico Collins for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
Houston has the lead, 7–6, with 58 seconds remaining before halftime.
Stroud to Collins for 37 yards
After Dalton Schultz dropped a pass over the middle that was ruled incomplete, not a fumble, C.J. Stroud connects on a deep ball with Nico Collins for a 37-yard gain.
Houston is at the Chargers’ 12-yard line with 1:09 remaining in the first half. They still have all three timeouts.
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