The Houston Texans defeated the LA Chargers in ’21. Can it happen again?
The day following Christmas 2021, the Houston Texans gave their fans a late holiday gift as they not only won against the Los Angeles Chargers, but they won in convincing fashion, winning by a 41-29 score in Houston.
That victory saw Texans quarterback Davis Mills go-21-of-27 for with two touchdown passes and no interceptions, as that ended up being the final win of the season for Houston, and it basically cost the Chargers a playoff spot.
Now the question is can the Texans have a repeat performance of that win and defeat Los Angles for a second consecutive season?
The game last year saw Houston’s rushing game be at their very best, and that was due to one particular rusher in Rex Burkhead. He had his career-best game of 149 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns, and his best run of 26 yards for the game.
How can the Texans win in Week 4 vs. the Chargers
The Texans are the underdogs in the betting odds for the upcoming game on Sunday, and this year the Chargers will be without superstar pass rusher Joey Bosa, who has landed on the IL. Bosa also missed the game last season against the Texans, and this year is no different as it is unsure when the talented pass rusher will return.
Another advantage for Houston is LA left tackle Rashawn Slater and wide receiver Jalen Guyton are out for the rest of the season with injuries. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is also battling a rib issue, so as far as injuries, the Chargers are in a tough situation at the moment.
For Houston to win — even with the Chargers having their issues — they must have a repeat performance from Mills, mirroring the one from last season. Mills in the win last year against the Chargers showed what he’s capable of as a quarterback, including a 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Conley, followed by a 13-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins.
Mills is capable of being a good quarterback in the NFL, but through three games his play has regressed, and he can’t play like he did last Sunday in Chicago and expect to win against the Chargers.
Houston’s roster is improved over last season, and if that team can defeat Los Angeles last season, then Houston in ’22 should be able to take advantage of the injuries for the Chargers and have the repeat performance from ’21.