Texans to Pull Off Miracle in LA! Bold Predictions for Wild Card Game vs Chargers
The Houston Texans have had a solid 2024 campaign, even if it didn’t live up to the hype of the 2023 season. Houston finished the regular season with a record of 10-7 and won the AFC South division for the second straight season. Now the Texans get to host a playoff game during the Wild Card round just like last season.
The Texans were viewed as a legitimate heavyweight in the AFC before the start of the 2024 season. It is easy to understand why. Houston added foundational pieces in CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. last year and made a postseason run. Then they added a ton of talent this spring. Those veterans included Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon, and Stefon Diggs. Unfortunately, Houston has dealt with a handful of injuries this season. They have also underperformed compared to their 2023 season.
All of this will certainly be on Houston’s mind when they host Los Angeles on Saturday. If the Texans want to prove they are better than last year’s team, their journey starts with a big win here.
Will the Texans be able to beat the Chargers during the first round of the 2024 NFL playoffs? Or will the Chargers get a huge upset playoff victory to begin the Jim Harbaugh era?
Below we will explore three Texans bold predictions ahead of their Wild Card matchup against the Chargers.
CJ Stroud throws for more yards, fewer TDs than he did in last season’s Wild Card win.
On paper, Stroud’s first two seasons in the NFL do not look that different.
Stroud had a slightly down year in 2024. He fewer yards and touchdowns than last season. However, his efficiency was basically the same. One key difference is that his number of turnovers jumped this season. At this point, it is difficult to determine if that is due to volatility or something more tangible.
Even if Stroud took a step back in 2024, he is still a franchise quarterback who has led his team to the postseason in two consecutive seasons.
I believe that Stroud will put up a similar performance to last year’s Wild Card game.
My prediction: Stroud will throw for more passing yards against the Chargers than he did against the Browns last year. He threw for 274 yards against the Browns, so let’s round that up to at least 300 yards against the Chargers. However, Stroud will throw fewer than three passing touchdowns. The Texans will need a good day from their running game to get past the Chargers.
Nico Collins has more receiving yards than any other pass catcher in this game
Nico Collins had a breakout season during Houston’s 2023 playoff run. He played well enough to merit a huge $72 million contract extension this offseason.
Unfortunately, just like the rest of the team, Collins has failed to live up to the hype generated from that magical season. It certainly did not help that Collins had to battle through a hamstring injury during the middle of the season.
All of that said, Collins still had an incredible 2024 campaign. He hauled in 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in only 12 games played.
I believe that the Texans understand that their offense moves through Collins right now. They need to do everything they can to get him the ball against the Chargers. If LA can shut down Collins, they will have a great chance to win this one.
My prediction: Collins leads both the Texans and Chargers in receiving yards this weekend. Let’s say that he exceeds 125 receiving yards, which he has done only twice so far this season.
Texans D limits Justin Herbert to fewer than 250 passing yards
It feels weird writing this, but Los Angeles may have more firepower on offense than Houston.
This is a big problem for the Texans. Not because their defense is incapable of stopping LA, but because they have not fared well in shootouts this season. Look back on Houston’s Week 10 loss against Detroit as a good example. The Texans intercepted Jared Goff five times in that game and still managed to lose. Those extra possessions didn’t turn into enough points because of Houston’s offensive struggles. They can’t let the same thing happen on Saturday.
I believe Houston will sell out to stop the pass. They will be content to allow LA to run the ball all day long. Hopefully that works out for the Texans.
My prediction: Houston will force Justin Herbert to throw for fewer than 250 passing yards on Saturday. This may not be the boldest prediction, but it would go a long way towards securing a Texans’ victory if it came true. For those keeping track at home, Herbert has thrown for over 250 passing yards nine times this season with a total sample size of 17 games played. Just looking at that set of data, this is a coin toss of a prediction.