Houston Texans 20, Los Angeles Chargers 16 | December 27, 2025 | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA | Attendance: 73,066
C.J. Stroud threw touchdowns of 75 and 43 yards on Houston’s first two possessions, the Texans defense put Justin Herbert on the ground five times, and Houston left Inglewood with a 20-16 win that clinched the franchise’s third consecutive playoff berth. The loss ended Los Angeles’ four-game winning streak and handed the AFC West title to the idle Denver Broncos.
Table of Contents
How the Texans Built a Lead Los Angeles Could Not Erase
On the game’s third play, Stroud found rookie Jayden Higgins wide open down the seam for a 75-yard score through blown Chargers coverage. Four plays into the next drive, Jaylin Noel ran free down the left sideline and Stroud delivered a 43-yard touchdown strike. Houston led 14-0 before Los Angeles completed its second possession.
The Chargers had surrendered just one passing touchdown of 40 or more yards across their previous 15 games combined. Stroud produced two in nine minutes.
“The big plays to start the game was really great execution starting with the O-line. It starts with great protection, and the guys did a great job there. They were two plays that helped us be in position to win.”
— DeMeco Ryans, Texans head coach
Los Angeles never tied the game. Herbert moved the offense down the field on a wild third-quarter drive, and Omarion Hampton punched in a five-yard rushing touchdown with 3:37 left to pull the Chargers within four at 20-16. Cameron Dicker’s extra point attempt sailed wide — his first missed PAT of the season — and the Texans ran out the clock from there.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 13:20 | HOU | Jayden Higgins 75-yd pass from C.J. Stroud (Fairbairn kick) | HOU 7-0 |
| 1st | 9:17 | HOU | Jaylin Noel 43-yd pass from C.J. Stroud (Fairbairn kick) | HOU 14-0 |
| 2nd | 6:10 | LAC | Cameron Dicker 27-yd field goal | HOU 14-3 |
| 3rd | 6:04 | HOU | Ka’imi Fairbairn 41-yd field goal | HOU 17-3 |
| 3rd | 0:13 | LAC | Oronde Gadsden II 1-yd pass from Herbert (Dicker kick) | HOU 17-10 |
| 4th | 6:29 | HOU | Ka’imi Fairbairn 44-yd field goal | HOU 20-10 |
| 4th | 3:37 | LAC | Omarion Hampton 5-yd rush (Dicker PAT failed) | HOU 20-16 |
Passing Stats
| Player | Team | Cmp / Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Yds Lost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | HOU | 16 / 28 | 244 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 80.1 |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | 21 / 32 | 236 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 35 | 84.9 |
Stroud completed his opening six passes without a miss and finished with 244 yards on a 57.1 percent clip. His two interceptions both came in Houston territory and combined to produce just three Chargers points. Herbert, operating through a broken left hand for the third consecutive game, moved chains at a 65.6 percent clip but was sacked five times for 35 yards of losses. He scrambled for 37 yards on six attempts, which accounted for roughly half of Los Angeles’ net rushing production on the day.
Rushing Stats
Houston Texans
| Player | Carries | Yards | TD | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woody Marks | 19 | 71 | 0 | 3.7 | 19 |
| Jawhar Jordan | 8 | 36 | 0 | 4.5 | 10 |
| Xavier Hutchinson | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 |
| Nick Chubb | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Jaylin Noel | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 |
| C.J. Stroud | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 |
| Team Total | 34 | 118 | 0 | 3.5 | 19 |
Los Angeles Chargers
| Player | Carries | Yards | TD | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | 6 | 37 | 0 | 6.2 | 28 |
| Omarion Hampton | 14 | 29 | 1 | 2.1 | 5 |
| Tre Harris | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7.0 | 7 |
| Jaret Patterson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Team Total | 22 | 74 | 1 | 3.4 | 28 |
Woody Marks carried 19 times as Houston managed the clock in the second half. Jawhar Jordan added 36 yards on eight carries. For the Chargers, Hampton averaged just 2.1 yards per carry against a Texans front that held Los Angeles to 37 rushing yards, excluding Herbert’s scrambles.
Receiving Stats
Houston Texans
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yards | TD | Avg | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Higgins | 4 | 2 | 88 | 1 | 44.0 | 75 | 36 |
| Nico Collins | 4 | 3 | 57 | 0 | 19.0 | 23 | 21 |
| Jaylin Noel | 4 | 3 | 54 | 1 | 18.0 | 43 | 6 |
| Xavier Hutchinson | 3 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 10.5 | 11 | 16 |
| Dalton Schultz | 4 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 6.3 | 11 | 15 |
| Woody Marks | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 5 |
| Christian Kirk | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 5 | 2 |
Los Angeles Chargers
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yards | TD | Avg | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | 8 | 5 | 98 | 0 | 19.6 | 60 | 12 |
| Omarion Hampton | 8 | 8 | 31 | 0 | 3.9 | 17 | 57 |
| Oronde Gadsden II | 6 | 3 | 32 | 1 | 10.7 | 25 | 9 |
| Ladd McConkey | 2 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 31.0 | 31 | 2 |
| Will Dissly | 2 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 9.5 | 18 | 18 |
| Keenan Allen | 3 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17.0 | 17 | 4 |
| Tre Harris | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 9 |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Rookie Jayden Higgins posted 88 yards on just two catches, both of which moved the chains. Quentin Johnston was Los Angeles’ most productive receiver with 98 yards on five catches, including a 60-yard gain in the second quarter. Omarion Hampton caught all eight of his targets for 31 yards — a career-high in receptions — and served as Herbert’s primary pressure release throughout the afternoon.
Defensive Stats
Houston Texans Defense
| Player | Comb | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry To’oTo’o | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jalen Pitre | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| K’Von Wallace | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danielle Hunter | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tremon Smith | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Togiai | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr. | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr. | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Derek Barnett | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| E.J. Speed | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damone Clark | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leki Fotu | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denico Autry | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheldon Rankins | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Naquan Jones | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Los Angeles Chargers Defense
| Player | Comb | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daiyan Henley | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr. | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tarheeb Still | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Del’Shawn Phillips | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Jefferson | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Williams | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Teair Tart | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Da’Shawn Hand | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jamaree Caldwell | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendall Williamson | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Otito Ogbonnia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Dye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Six different Houston defenders recorded at least a half-sack. Derek Barnett led with two. Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry each added a full sack, with Will Anderson Jr. and Sheldon Rankins splitting another. Henry To’oTo’o paced the team with 12 combined tackles.
“These guys have been playing lights out all year, every single game. But the way the D-line showed up today with sack after sack, it was really cool to see a lot of different guys get a sack.”
— DeMeco Ryans
“Our brand of ball is really just one word and that’s ‘swarm.’ Whatever may happen, good or bad, everybody is just swarming.”
— Will Anderson Jr., Texans edge rusher
Kicking and Special Teams
Field Goals and PATs
| Player | Team | FG | Pct | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka’imi Fairbairn | HOU | 2 / 2 | 100% | 44 yds | 2 / 2 | 8 |
| Cameron Dicker | LAC | 1 / 2 | 50% | 27 yds | 1 / 2 | 4 |
Punting
| Player | Team | Punts | Yards | Avg | Long | In 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Townsend | HOU | 5 | 252 | 50.4 | 56 | 4 |
| JK Scott | LAC | 7 | 273 | 39.0 | 49 | 1 |
Kick Returns
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylin Noel | HOU | 2 | 41 | 20.5 | 23 | 0 |
| Tremon Smith | HOU | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 25 | 0 |
| Jaret Patterson | LAC | 2 | 58 | 29.0 | 34 | 0 |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith | LAC | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 25 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylin Noel | HOU | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | LAC | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 7 | 0 |
Dicker’s miss from 32 yards late in the second quarter was the first time in his career he had failed a field goal attempt from inside 40 yards. His missed PAT after Hampton’s late touchdown was his first of the season. Those four lost points, against a final deficit of four, told the story of Los Angeles’ afternoon in a single number.
Full Team Stats
| Stat | Houston Texans | LA Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 20 | 16 |
| Total Yards | 362 | 275 |
| Total Plays | 62 | 59 |
| Yards per Play | 5.8 | 4.7 |
| Passing Yards (Net) | 244 | 201 |
| Completions / Attempts | 16 / 28 | 21 / 32 |
| Rushing Yards | 118 | 74 |
| Rushing Attempts | 34 | 22 |
| First Downs | 16 | 16 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 3 / 11 (27%) | 6 / 15 (40%) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 |
| Red Zone (Made / Att) | 0 / 0 | 2 / 5 |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 5 (35 yds) |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties | 8 for 70 yds | 3 for 25 yds |
| Time of Possession | 30:21 | 29:39 |
Where the Chargers Lost This Game
Houston never once reached the red zone. Both touchdowns came on plays of 75 and 43 yards, and both field goals were struck from beyond 40 yards. Los Angeles, on the other hand, got into scoring position five times and finished 2-for-5.
The critical sequence came in the second quarter with the Chargers driving. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair intercepted Herbert at the Houston 1-yard line, pulling down a pass that tipped off Oronde Gadsden’s hands in the end zone. What looked like a certain Chargers touchdown became a Houston possession. Dicker’s 32-yard field goal miss before halftime compounded the damage, leaving Los Angeles trailing 14-3 at the break despite generating turnover opportunities.
“You’re not going to beat nobody in this league spotting them 14 points.”
— Derwin James Jr., Chargers safety
What It Meant for Houston and Los Angeles
The Texans won their eighth game in a row, their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in 2018. The playoff clinch was the third consecutive under DeMeco Ryans, the first time in franchise history Houston reached the postseason in three straight seasons.
“It’s what you fight for during the season, for an opportunity to be in the playoffs and go win it all. We earned that. It wasn’t given to us. Our guys went out and earned it.”
— DeMeco Ryans
Rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel, who caught a touchdown and returned kicks on Saturday, put the streak in the context of where the team started:
“To do something like that in this league is not easy. Any time you can stack wins like this is special and we just want to keep it going.”
— Jaylin Noel
The Chargers paid a steep price. The AFC West title went to the idle Denver Broncos, who clinched the division without taking the field. Los Angeles also lost the chance to set up a winner-take-all game in Denver in Week 18.
“That’s what hurts the most. We just didn’t do it. We didn’t have enough, but we’ll take the loss now and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
— Daiyan Henley, Chargers linebacker
All statistics sourced from Pro Football Reference and ESPN. Full Texans vs Chargers player stats, snap counts and PFF grades from this December 27, 2025 matchup at SoFi Stadium are tabulated above.
