The last time the Texans took the field at NRG Stadium, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens rolled to the tune of 432 yards and 31 points.
Saturday, in the AFC wild-card round, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert — and really, Los Angeles’ offense as a whole — found hardly an inch to breathe.
Between that stout defensive work and C.J. Stroud’s good-as-ever play under center, the Texans rolled to a 32-12 victory in Houston, booking their second trip to the divisional round in as many years.
After a slow start, Houston’s signal-caller finished with a solid state line, going 22-for-33 with 282 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Herbert, meanwhile, had a significantly less pleasant Saturday evening.
After being intercepted only thrice all season, Herbert had three passes picked off in the wild-card game’s first 48 minutes — then threw a fourth during garbage time in the fourth quarter.
One of those interceptions — Herbert’s third of the evening — cornerback Eric Murray snagged at the tail end of the third quarter and returned for a touchdown to extend the Texans’ lead to 14.
The defensive rout extended to special teams, too, most notably in the fourth quarter when Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker’s extra-point attempt was blocked and returned by cornerback D’Angelo Ross to add another two points to the Texans’ lead.
Despite all these triumphs, it was, perhaps, the turnover on downs the Texans forced early in the third quarter — when it was still a four-point ballgame — that represents the high point of the team’s defensive work on the evening.
Los Angeles came into the game averaging 213.5 yards through the air per game and another 110.7 on the ground.
On Saturday, though, Houston held their opponent to just 261 total yards.
The Chargers’ total of 12 points represented less than half their season average (23.6).
Houston found success on the defensive side of the ball by bringing heat early and often.
The Texans also sacked Herbert four times for a total of 31 yards as well as holding the Chargers’ rushing game to an average of just 2.6 yards per carry.
On Los Angeles’ lone trip to the red zone — Herbert and company’s first drive of the game — the Texans held them to a field goal.