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What started as a blowout, ended as a down-to-the-wire end Saturday, because the Houston Texans held off the Chargers with a 20-16 victory at SoFi Stadium.
The result rippled by way of the AFC, with the Denver Broncos clinching the AFC West, and the Indianapolis Colts eradicated from playoff competition. The Broncos are the primary workforce apart from Kansas Metropolis to win the division up to now decade.
The Chargers (11-5), who had gained 4 in a row, made some uncharacteristic errors to expend scoring probabilities.
Justin Herbert, who in any other case had an incredible and gutty sport, was intercepted a yard away from the top zone within the first half.
Cameron Dicker, essentially the most correct kicker in NFL historical past, missed for the primary time in his profession within 40 yards and within the fourth quarter hooked an extra-point attempt, solely the fourth PAT miss of his profession.
Herbert accomplished 21 of 32 passes for 236 yards with a landing and interception.
Houston’s C.J. Stroud accomplished 16 of 28 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Texans (11-5), who received off to an 0-3 begin this season, got here into Saturday’s sport driving a seven-game successful streak.
They performed host to the Chargers within the first spherical of the playoffs final season and picked up a 32-12 victory, intercepting Herbert 4 occasions.
On Saturday, Herbert saved the Chargers within the sport, absorbing hits from each angle but nonetheless throwing a one-yard landing move to Oronde Gadsden II on the finish of the third quarter and establishing one other landing, a five-yard run by rookie Omarion Hampton, with 3:37 left within the fourth.
Dicker missed the additional level on the latter landing, that means the Chargers couldn’t tie with a subject purpose and wanted a landing.
On the finish of the primary half, Dicker missed a 32-yard subject purpose, and peculiar as that was, it encapsulated what sort of begin it was for the Chargers.
They have been flat and flat-footed from the start, surrendering a 75-yard landing move on Houston’s first possession and a 43-yard landing move on the second.
The Texans have been up, 14-0, earlier than the Chargers received their preliminary first down.
Herbert was sacked 3 times within the half, and on the primary appeared to have damage his surgically repaired left hand. Not less than he was wincing and favoring that hand as he walked off the sector, but it surely didn’t sideline him.
Regardless of getting off to a two-touchdown lead, the Texans didn’t run away with the sport.
Derwin James Jr. had an interception early within the second quarter to arrange a subject purpose for the Chargers.
The Chargers received a subject purpose and moved into place for a landing within the second quarter when Herbert related with Quentin Johnston for a 60-yard achieve.
On the next play, nevertheless, Herbert tried to hit Gadsden over the center. The move wasn’t completely timed, and glanced off the arms of the rookie tight finish, who was close to the purpose line. Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair made the interception on the one.
Minutes later, the Chargers would get one other golden alternative to attain. Elijah Molden made an interception on the Houston 32, and his workforce made it into the crimson zone earlier than Dicker’s failed try.
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