On Saturday, January 11th, the Houston Texans will face off against the Los Angeles Chargers at NRG Stadium in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. The Texans enter the matchup as the AFC South champions with a 10-7 record, while the Chargers, who finished second in their division behind the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, boast an 11-6 record.
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The Texans are eager to replicate their Wild Card weekend success from last year, when they decisively defeated the Cleveland Browns 45-14 before falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional round.
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This season, the Texans have experienced a rollercoaster of performances, with their offense struggling to capitalize on key opportunities at times. They rank in the bottom third of the league in major offensive categories, partly due to injuries. However, the team is optimistic about turning things around with the leadership of their promising second-year quarterback, CJ Stroud.
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Their opponents, the Chargers, feature one of the NFL's most formidable defenses, allowing just 17.7 points per game. While being led by their 5th year QB Justin Herbert, who threw for 23 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions.
For the Texans to succeed, their offense will need to be at its best and the defense will need to keep Herbert in check.
On the defensive side, the Texans are no slouches either. They rank in the top ten for sacks, interceptions, and yards allowed per game, while conceding an average of only 21 points per game.
This sets the stage for a close matchup between two teams with strong defense.