The Houston Texans’ defense dominated the Los Angeles Chargers in their wild-card win, carrying the team to a 32-12 victory. The unit intercepted quarterback Justin Herbert four times, including one return for a touchdown.
Coach DeMeco Ryans praised his defense, saying they “dominated” and played their brand of football. They stopped the run first, which made the Chargers’ offense one-dimensional and led to havoc caused by the defensive line.
The Texans became the fifth team since 1963 to record four interceptions, an interception return for a touchdown, and four sacks in a playoff game. The last teams to accomplish this feat went on to win the Super Bowl.
Defensive end Will Anderson credited the team’s ability to rush and cover together, saying they were “tight with our rush” and “sticky in coverage.” Herbert was under pressure 50% of the time, going 3-for-14 for 112 yards with one touchdown and an interception under duress.
Safety Eric Murray intercepted a pass from Herbert with 21 seconds left in the third quarter, which put Houston up 20-6. Cornerback Derek Stingley added to the defense’s success by intercepting Herbert on a short pass in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud also made an impact, leading the Texans on a 32-6 run after an improbable completion sparked the drive. The quarterback finished with 22-of-33 passing for 282 yards and a touchdown, with a significant difference in production after the play that changed momentum.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43376086/texans-crush-chargers-force-justin-herbert-4-ints