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Texans DeskThe TapeGame center →

Stroud throws for 384 yards and five scores as Texans beat Chargers 44-22

A 63-yard touchdown to Tank Dell and a pass rush that sacked the Chargers eight times turned Week 9 at SoFi Stadium into a 22-point win.

C.J. StroudThe TapeW 44–22atCHARGERSQBC.J. Stroud
By Texans Desk, Pigskin NightlyNov 8, 9:41 PM ET3 min read

The deciding stretch

The Texans' biggest play came with 4:28 left in the second quarter. C.J. Stroud lined up in shotgun and threw deep right to Tank Dell for a 63-yard touchdown. Houston's win probability rose 14 percentage points on that one snap, the largest swing of the game in the Texans' favor.

The drive behind it set the tone for the day. The Texans' longest possession went 5 plays and 89 yards and ended in a touchdown. Houston scored on 8 of its 13 drives, and 5 of those ended in the end zone. The Chargers scored on 5 of their 13, with 2 touchdowns.

The final was Texans 44, Chargers 22. Houston outscored Los Angeles 14-6 in the second quarter and 13-13 in the fourth.

The swing

The game did not run in a straight line. At 7:32 of the second quarter, Stroud's pass over the short middle toward Kayshon Boutte was intercepted by D.Henley at the Los Angeles 44. Henley returned it 18 yards to the Houston 38, and the Texans' win probability dropped 11 points. It was the only turnover Houston had all day.

The offense answered within minutes. The 63-yard touchdown to Dell followed, and with 0:43 left in the half Stroud hit Boutte deep right for 35 yards to the Los Angeles 12. Two Chargers penalties on that play, illegal contact and defensive holding, were declined. That throw added 6 points of win probability.

The first touchdown of the day had set the pattern. At 10:16 of the first quarter, Stroud threw deep right to X.Hutchinson for 17 yards and a score.

Who moved the needle

EPA, or expected points added, measures how much each play changes a team's scoring outlook compared with an average result from that spot on the field. By that measure, Stroud was the game. Houston averaged 0.507 EPA per dropback. Los Angeles averaged -0.064.

Stroud finished 21 of 35 for 384 yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 interception and a 125.5 passer rating. He averaged 11.0 yards per attempt, and his 38 plays added 19.8 total EPA, the highest on the team. Boutte caught 4 passes for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns, for 6.3 EPA on 5 plays. Dell had 4 catches for 105 yards and a score on 9 targets. Nico Collins caught 4 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, worth 5.9 EPA on 4 plays.

The pass rush made that lead hold up. Houston sacked the Chargers 8 times for 40 yards, and Los Angeles averaged 4.7 yards per pass against Houston's 10.0. Jadeveon Clowney, Sheldon Rankins and Will Anderson Jr. each had 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hits. M.J. Stewart added a sack and led the group with 5 tackles.

The Chargers went 5 for 17 on third down. The Texans went 8 for 14. Houston also went 3 for 4 in the red zone.

The run game was the one weak spot. Houston averaged -0.098 EPA per rush. Woody Marks carried 18 times for 70 yards, a 3.9-yard average. E.Demercado's 6 rushing plays cost the offense 2.6 EPA, the worst total on the team. Marks also had -2.2 EPA on 4 receiving plays.

Where it leaves them

The Texans are 3-5 and have won one straight. They sit second in the AFC South behind the Jaguars at 6-2, and ahead of the Colts at 2-7 and the Titans at 1-7. They rank 11th in the conference and have a point differential of plus 17.

The road has been kinder than home. Houston is 3-1 away from NRG and 0-4 at home. Next comes another road game, at the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1:00 PM ET on Fox. The Texans' offense will carry its 0.507 EPA per dropback into that game, and the pass rush will try to repeat the eight sacks from SoFi Stadium.

How this was reported. Every number in this piece comes from the play-by-play, drive, injury and snap data Pigskin Nightly collects for every game. EPA (expected points added) is from the open nflverse model. We do not use anonymous sources or invent quotes. Read how we write; spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it in the open.