The Houston Texans handled business against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday (44-22), and quarterback CJ Stroud played lights out. He completed 21-of-35 passes (60%) for 384 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and he also scampered for 20 rushing yards. Stroud became the first Texans quarterback to ever throw for 350+ yards and five touchdowns in multiple career games (per NFL NextGen Stats), as he did the same against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week nine of 2023.
The only other players in NFL history with multiple games of at least 350 passing yards and five touchdowns at age 25 or younger are Dan Marino, Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes. Marino went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 2005, and Stafford and Mahomes are both destined to be enshrined as well.
Sitting at 3-5, Houston has a 35% chance to make the playoffs (NGS). Can the Texans, and the offense in particular, turn a corner and make a run? Let's dive into it.
Can CJ Stroud lead the Texans to the playoffs?
It may have come against the winless Chargers, but the Texans put up their best offensive performance of the season with 485 total yards. Defensively, the Texans sacked Justin Herbert eight times, which is tied for the most by any team in a game this season (NGS). It also marks the third straight season in which Houston recorded an 8-sack game, tying the 2006-08 Philadelphia Eagles and 1996-98 Seattle Seahawks for the longest such streak since 1990.
Stroud spread the ball around against the Chargers, as nine different receivers caught a pass. Tank Dell caught his first touchdown since returning from injury, and it wasn't even the biggest surprise of the day, as Kayshon Boutte had a career-high 125 yards and two touchdowns. Nico Collins only saw four targets but was able to make the most of them (4 receptions, 55 yards, 1 touchdown).
Houston's rushing attack still needs to some work, however. Hopefully for the Texans, David Montgomery can be effective when he returns from injury and can create a tandem with Woody Marks.
Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. leads the league in sacks with 9.5, which is 1.5 more than the next best (Chase Young). Cornerback Kamari Lassiter is coming off his best game of the season, as he allowed zero receptions on five targets against the Chargers to go with a career-high four passes defended.
It's worth noting the NFL trade deadline is about to hit (Nov. 10, 4 p.m. EST), so Houston could try to make a last-minute move to bolster the roster. Even if the Texans don't trade anyone, as long as the defense continues to raise its level of play and Stroud keeps dominating, they are far from out of the postseason conversation.
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