Chargers-Texans Live Game Recap: Justin Herbert eyes 1st playoff win in Houston

Kickoff between the Chargers and Texans is right around the corner.

Both teams employ a young quarterbacks each with extraordinary talent. Justin Herbert is looking for his first postseason of his career while C.J. Stroud is looking to build off his early playoff success after winning in Cleveland a season ago.

Jim Harbaugh is also looking to continue his streak of winning at least one playoff game every time he’s made the postseason. From 2011-2013, Harbaugh won at least one playoff game before failing to make the postseason in his final season (2014) with the Niners.

So if there’s one thing on the Chargers’ side entering this game, it’s history, and history says Harbaugh should lead this team to victory.

Will that be the case today? Only one way to find out and that’s to lock-in and watch.

Here we go, Chargers fans. Playoff football! Bolt up, baby!

For a complete quarter-by-quarter recap of today’s game, check it out below.

First Quarter

The Texans won the coin toss and chose to defer. The Chargers offense was up first.

Justin Herbert and the offense marched down the field with relative ease thanks to some chunk-running by J.K. Dobbins and an efficient intermediate passing attack. The Chargers ultimately had third-and-one at the Houston 14-yard line, but rookie right tackle Joe Alt was blown back at the point of attack which erased the run lane for Dobbins. The play ended in a two-yard loss which forced a 35-yard kick from Cameron Dicker which was successful. The Bolts led 3-0 early with just under 10 minutes left in the period.

On the first play of the Texans’ ensuing drive, wide receiver John Metchie was stripped by Alohi Gilman and the football was recovered by Derwin James at the Houston 33-yard line. Just like that, the Bolts were back in business inside enemy territory.

Gus Edwards began the drive with an eight-yard fun followed by another short run to convert the first down. On the next play, left guard Zion Johnson missed his assignment on the play-action pass which allowed Will Anderson Jr. to sack Herbert for a nine-yard loss. The Chargers could not overcome the second-and-19 deficit and Dicker was once again good from 39 yards to increase their lead to 6-0.

The Chargers defense continued their strong start by forcing the Texans into a three-and-out on their second drive of the game. On a third-down incompletion to Metchie, linebacker Daiyan Henley nearly picked off the pass after Joey Bosa forced Stroud to scramble from the pocket.

Thanks to a Texans player running into Derius Davis on the punt, the Chargers were gifted an additional 15 yards which moved them from the 12 to the 27-yard line.

The offensive line struggled with protecting Herbert on their next drive as the Houston defensive line continued to utilize stunts to manufacture easy pressure. Los Angeles would be forced punt for the first time. Despite a Texans defender getting a hand on the ball, the punt continued to roll after a short hop all the way to the Texans 28-yard line.

Stroud got the ball moving with short gains to tight end Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods. Joey Bosa sacked Stroud on a second-and-10 before tackling Joe Mixon short of the first down on third-and-15.

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

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