The Chargers will begin their quest for a Super Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Houston, where they will face a young Texans team. After finishing with an 11-6 record in the regular season, they have earned the fifth seed in the AFC. With this spot, they will travel to Houston and play the Texans for the chance to win their first playoff game since 2018. With that being said, there are many layers to unpack in this matchup.
The biggest thing worrying fans is the Chargers’ history of disappointment in the last few years. In the past, the Chargers’ culture had been putting out good rosters that somehow underperformed. Their last playoff appearance was in 2023, when they jumped out to an early 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Chargers fashion, they ended up losing 31-30. Since then, they have cleaned house in Los Angeles.
The Bolts got rid of their GM, Coach, and essentially everyone else who helped put together those teams. Last year, they signed a big contract with Jim Harbaugh. In just one year, Harbaugh has completely turned the culture around. He has created a vibe in the locker room that is unlike anything they’ve had in years. In that time, the Chargers are now in the playoffs, and facing a team they are favored to play.
The most exciting storyline here is the fact that fans will get to see two of the best young quarterbacks face off in the playoffs. These two guys are responsible for two of the best rookie years the NFL world has seen in recent history. Now, CJ Stroud will lead the Texans against Justin Herbert in the Chargers. Stroud is having a slow season but still finds himself in the playoffs at home. With the way NFL playoffs are, Stroud only needs a few good games to lead his team to a Super Bowl.
Justin Herbert, on the other hand, has been elite all season. He’s unlocking his legs more than ever and is using that to be even more efficient than ever. Herbert had 23 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions while throwing for 3,870 yards. With that in mind, Herbert is looking to shake off the notion of being a playoff choker. He is poised to do so this weekend with a roster built to take the pressure off of him and let him play loose.
Both teams are relatively healthy heading into the game. Of course, the Texans are missing star receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell for the season. They will also be without Offensive Lineman Shaq Mason. Guys like Christian Harris, Denico Autry, and John Metchie III are listed as questionable. The Chargers will be without Joshua Palmer while Quentin Johnston and Gus Edwards’ statuses are still up in the air. The Bolts have activated WR Simi Fehoko and CB Eli Apple off of IR, so they will be returning. Another notable piece of news is that RB Ezekiel Elliott was not activated for this game, so he will not be making his Chargers debut on Saturday.
There will be multiple exciting player matchups in this game, but none will be more electrifying than Derek Stingley Jr. and Ladd McConkey. It is widely assumed that Stingley will get the matchup against Ladd and shadow him throughout the game. Stingley is an elite corner just like McConkey is at receiver, and it will be exciting to see how the matchup shakes out. The Chargers’ offense runs through McConkey as much as it does anyone else, so Stingley could be doing his team a great service if he can successfully take Ladd out of the offense.
The other big matchups are in the trenches. Texans stars Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter will be facing off against Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt all game. All four of these guys are elite at their position. A big part of this game will be seeing how much time Justin Herbert gets to throw. If Herbert’s line holds up against Anderson and Hunter, the passing game would be opened up as much as it could possibly be. However, if the Texans pass rush gets the better of Slater & Alt, there may not be a world where the Chargers score enough to take this game.
