Can the Chargers Finally Break the Texans Curse? — Here’s What It Will Take in Week 17

The Los Angeles Chargers face off against the Houston Texans on Saturday, a team that outplayed them during the Wild Card game last January. Despite all the offensive line injuries, is it the Chargers’ turn to come out on top? Here’s what to watch for:

1. Can The Chargers Get Their Revenge On Houston? 

Week 11 against the Jags was supposed to be a revenge game for the Chargers, a way to get right after losing to them in the 2022 Wild Card matchup. Well, it didn’t go their way as LA lost 35-6.

Despite failing to change that narrative, the Chargers have a second shot to rewrite another. They lost to the Texans last January, 32-12, and quarterback Justin Herbert threw the most interceptions of the entire year in that game.

That game also exposed even more issues with the offensive line, issues that have continued to crop up this year again and again as more and more offensive linemen have gone out with injury.

Can the Chargers take control and actually come out on top against a team that ended their season? Much of this game will come down to the offensive line and defensive dominance. But at the end of the day, the win doesn’t need to be pretty; it just needs to happen. The Chargers can’t have a repeat of last January. 

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2. How The Chargers Offensive Line Holds Up Against The Texans’ Pass Rush 

As of December 14, Daniel Popper of The Athletic relayed that the Chargers had reached their 22nd offensive line combination when offensive lineman Trevor Penning went in briefly for Mekhi Becton at right guard in the Week 15 game against the Chiefs. And that number may even be higher after this past week’s game against Dallas, as offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer, who’s been given the start at left tackle the last few games, went out with a hamstring injury. 

Well, this matchup is going to be a challenge for this constantly changing offensive line, as this year’s Texans’ defense is even more dominant than last year’s. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was a monster against the Chargers last season, with three quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks according to ESPN. And Anderson currently is second on the team in sacks with 11.5, right behind defensive end Danielle Hunter.

It will be interesting to see how this offensive line keeps up, and what combination of linemen we see, because as of now, it’s unclear how severe Salyer’s hamstring injury is healing, and he’s most likely their best hope at left tackle. And Becton has also ended up on the injury report as of Tuesday.

In good news, though, offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III, who hasn’t played since Week 14 due to an ankle injury, may be back this week as he is logging full practices, so perhaps there’s some additional combinations the Chargers can try if Salyer is not able to suit up.

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3. Can The Chargers’ Offense Get Going? 

Sunday’s game against Dallas marked a return to form for Herbert, a quarterback who’s known for his deep passes and rocket arm. Sunday marked the first time that Herbert threw for 300 passing yards since Week 7 and marked his second rushing touchdown of the year.

Sunday also marked a return to early-season form for wide receiver Quentin Johnston, as he had four receptions for five targets and a beautiful one-handed touchdown catch in the first quarter. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, meanwhile, had his first receiving touchdown since Week 13 with four receptions. In addition to Herbert’s rushing touchdown, rookie running back Omarion Hampton had his first rushing touchdown since returning from injured reserve.

In the last game against the Texans, Herbert only had one passing touchdown during the fourth quarter, courtesy of McConkey, as he evaded cornerback Myles Bryant and kept running to the end zone. The run game was pretty non-existent in that game, with the entire Chargers’ team combining for only 50 rushing yards. 

This Texans defense is much better than Dallas’s. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter currently leads the team in passes defended (16), and he already has more solo tackles this season (57) than last (42). Lassiter also had an interception on Herbert last year, while cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. had two and has four on the year.

But, hopefully the Chargers are a bit more prepared, considering they have a more balanced attack and way more weapons on offense this year. And Herbert is certainly not afraid to run and has had more scrambles and designed runs this year than in 2024, so that’s an extra weapon they can pull out if needed. 

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4. Can the Chargers’ Secondary Limit Nico Collins? 

Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had his third-most receiving yards against the Chargers last year (122), along with one receiving touchdown. In particular, Collins beat former Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton multiple times, getting large gains of 37 and 41 yards.

Though the Chargers’ coverage has been good this season, Dallas wide receiver George Pickens did have some big gains with cornerback Cam Hart in coverage, including a 38-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. It was definitely not Hart’s strongest game, so he will need to clean it up in the next one.

And there’s an additional worry regarding depth at cornerback, as cornerback Benjamin St. Juste went out of the game against Dallas with injuries, and it’s unclear if they’ll both play this coming week. Though it’s a good sign that cornerback Donte Jackson, who also sustained an injury in the Dallas game, has been listed as a full participant in practice.

Hopefully, players like Hart step up, while Jackson can keep up his production, and safeties like Tony Jefferson, Derwin James Jr., and R.J. Mickens, if he’s healthy enough to play, are also able to pitch in, as the Chargers will need all the help they can get to make sure they can contain Collins. 

5. Can Justin Herbert Have a Clean Game?

This time last year, Herbert had only three interceptions all season, and then all of that changed against the Texans. On Sunday, for the first time since Week 10, Herbert had zero interceptions. Maybe the fact that Herbert has already had 12 interceptions on the season bodes well, and last Sunday was a sign that he’s reached a positive turning point?

Maybe he’s gotten all of the turnovers out of his system.

That’s highly doubtful given the state of his protection, but perhaps optimism is the way to go. Because Herbert has to rewrite the story of his last playoff game, and that starts with playing clean football. Though it’s doubtful he can come out without at least one interception, considering the Chargers are 11-4, given all they’ve been through, it’s not impossible.