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DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Texans at Chargers
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 9 · Sunday 4:05 PM ET · SoFi Stadium

HOUvsLAC

Texans offensevsChargers defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Texans, 7 for Chargers. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

HOU offenseLAC offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Clean pockets

Texans take a sack on 6% of dropbacks (11th). Chargers get home on 6% (23rd). League average is 7%.

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Chargers are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.21 EPA per attempt. Texans send 5% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Third downs favor Chargers

Texans convert 38% of third downs (25th). Chargers allow 31% (3rd).

04
Wash

EPA per play

Call this one even. Texans average +0.02 EPA per play (13th). Chargers allow -0.04 (9th). League average is +0.00.

Players to watch

HOU Texans

7C.J. StroudQB · 160/247 · 1867 yds · 11 TD · 1 INTEPA per dropback +0.12 · 15th4Woody MarksRB · 77 car · 271 yds · 2 TD · 14 recEPA per touch -0.1486Dalton SchultzTE · 33 rec · 322 yds · 0 TD · 43 tgtEPA per target +0.23 · 22nd19Xavier HutchinsonWR · 21 rec · 258 yds · 1 TD · 40 tgtEPA per target -0.0451Will Anderson Jr.Left Defensive End · 31 tackles · 7.5 sacks · 1 PD7.5 sacks · T-1st in the NFL55Danielle HunterRight Defensive End · 17 tackles · 4 sacks · 4 PD4 sacks · T-22nd in the NFL

LAC Chargers

10Justin HerbertQB · 131/212 · 1398 yds · 5 TD · 10 INTEPA per dropback -0.268Omarion HamptonRB · 89 car · 309 yds · 3 TD · 11 recEPA per touch -0.239Tre HarrisWR · 18 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgtEPA per target +0.301Quentin JohnstonWR · 12 rec · 202 yds · 0 TD · 26 tgtEPA per target +0.2445Tuli TuipulotuWeakside Linebacker · 29 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 3 PD3 sacks20Cam HartLeft Cornerback · 28 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL
The series · Texans and Chargers since 1999, and this season's records11 meetings

The Chargers lead the series 6–5 since 1999 (they first met in 2002). The Texans have won the last 2. Dec 27, 2025, at SoFi Stadium: the Texans won 20–16. Justin Herbert started at quarterback for the Chargers and C.J. Stroud for the Texans; Jim Harbaugh and DeMeco Ryans coached.

Texans at home2–4the Texans' record
In Los Angeles3–2the Texans' record
Most pointsTexans 41 · Chargers 352021 · 2007
Biggest winTexans by 20 · Chargers by 252024 · 2007
Playoffs1–0the Texans' record

The last 5

2025 · Wk 17HOU 20 at LAC 16
2024 · Wk 19 · playoffsLAC 12 at HOU 32
2022 · Wk 4LAC 34 at HOU 24
2021 · Wk 16LAC 29 at HOU 41
2019 · Wk 3HOU 27 at LAC 20

2026 records

TexansChargers
Overall2–50–7
Division2–10–3
Conference2–30–4
Other conference0–20–3
Home0–40–3
Away2–10–4
Last 5LLWWLLLLLL
StreakLost 1Lost 7
Points a game23.6 – 24.314.1 – 25.0

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Texans' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Texans offense against the Chargers defenseDepth charts
Chargers defense · 3-4 DTexans offense · 3WR 1TE79Ersery66Rutledge63Brown69Ingram77Brown86Schultz7Stroud4Marks12Collins19Hutchinson18Harrison92Eboigbe99Caldwell93Tart45Tuipulotu52Mack53Phillips0Henley26Jackson20Hart4Still23Jefferson2Molden

Texans offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBC.J. Stroud#7 · 160/247 · 1867 yds · 11 TD · 1 INT
  • RBWoody Marks#4 · 77 car · 271 yds · 2 TD · 14 rec
  • WRNico Collins#12 · 24 rec · 329 yds · 3 TD · 35 tgt
  • WRMarvin Harrison Jr.#18 · 9 rec · 125 yds · 2 TD · 21 tgt
  • WRXavier Hutchinson#19 · 21 rec · 258 yds · 1 TD · 40 tgt
  • TEDalton Schultz#86 · 33 rec · 322 yds · 0 TD · 43 tgt
  • LTAireontae Ersery#79
  • LGKeylan Rutledge#66
  • CEvan Brown#63
  • RGEd Ingram#69
  • RTTrent Brown#77

Chargers defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEJustin Eboigbe#92 · 24 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • NTJamaree Caldwell#99 · 13 tackles
  • LDETeair Tart#93 · 15 tackles
  • WLBTuli Tuipulotu#45 · 29 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • SLBKhalil Mack#52 · 21 tackles · 3 sacks
  • RILBDel'Shawn Phillips#53 · 36 tackles
  • LILBDaiyan Henley#0 · 39 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • RCBDonte Jackson#26 · 7 tackles · 2 PD
  • LCBCam Hart#20 · 28 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD
  • NBTarheeb Still#4 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • SSTony Jefferson#23 · 31 tackles · 2 PD
  • FSElijah Molden#2 · 24 tackles

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · HOU offense against LAC defense
StatHOU HOU offFavors HOU · Favors LACLAC LAC def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.02#13
-0.04#9+0.00
Success rate
42%#17
44%#1944%
Yards per play
5.6#10
5.6#205.4
Explosive play rate
10%#12
10%#179%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.11#13
-0.02#10+0.03
Sack rate
6%#11
6%#237%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.15#25
-0.06#23-0.08
Yards per carry
3.4#29
4.3#214.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
38%#25
31%#341%
Red zone TD rate
58%#19
52%#1061%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
180#6
133#12147
TE yards per game
65#8
52#1555
TE targets per game
9.0#5
6.0#37.6
RB receiving yards per game
21#26
22#732
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Texans: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.035% of throws
+1.305% of throws
+0.2511% of throws
Short
-0.0122% of throws
+0.2723% of throws
+0.2434% of throws

Chargers: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.2111 throws
3too few
+1.197 throws
Short
+0.1060 throws
-0.0942 throws
+0.0073 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.