1) Texans offense must hold up its end of the bargain
Houston’s defense is full of world-beaters at every level, from Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter up front leading the pass rush to Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre overseeing the secondary. The Texans boast the league’s top unit in the league in both points and yards allowed entering Week 17. Their offense, however, too often finds itself stuck in the mud, as evidenced by ranking 19th in points and yards. C.J. Stroud and Co. managed only 270 total yards and one offensive score against the lowly Raiders last week. It was the eighth game this season in which Houston has totaled fewer than 275 yards. Five other teams have failed to reach that marker in seven-plus games in 2025 (Browns, Raiders, Jets, Titans, Vikings), and they are all out of the playoffs — many of them distantly so. This team can win a Super Bowl because of how difficult its defense makes life for opponents, but it won’t happen if the Texans don’t kick things into gear on the other side. While that’ll be a tough task against a top-10 defense in the Chargers, it’s the type of test Houston will face should it reach the playoffs. Here’s hoping Stroud can find some more explosiveness with receivers apart from the always-reliable Nico Collins and the running game find some ground with Woody Marks returning from injury and Jawhar Jordan showcasing some ability when pressed into action the past two weeks.
2) Herbert is seeking revenge
Last season’s wild-card game between these two teams saw a shocking dismantling of the Chargers. The Texans trounced them in every facet for a 32-12 victory. Herbert took the brunt of the beating, throwing for a career-low 43.8 completion percentage and tossing four interceptions after throwing only three INTs throughout the entire regular season. The collapse was surreal, and it generated plenty of talking points about Herbert’s playoff résumé. What can’t be called into question is Herbert’s overall skill and his toughness. He’s kept the Chargers rolling right along despite suffering a broken bone in his non-throwing hand in Week 13. He’ll have his work cut out for him to keep up the progress, though. Houston’s defense is nasty, and L.A.’s offensive line is in tatters due to injury. Herbert’s dangerous with his legs, but he’s already been running around for his life against lesser pass-rushing units. If he’s to have his revenge, it must come against a crew that has allowed only 16.6 points per game and given premier quarterbacks fits all season.