The Houston Texans had one of their stiffest tests to close out the season on Saturday, taking on the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. The game started with fireworks, as the Texans scored two long touchdowns on their first two drives. But after that, it was all defense for the majority of the game, as the Texans and Chargers defenses took over. Ultimately, the Texans won 20-16 and captured their eighth straight win while locking up a playoff berth. Houston, now sitting at 11-5, has rebounded from what was an ugly 0-3 start to the season. While things are getting better and the defense is undoubtedly the better side of the ball for Houston, there are some concerns, especially on offense.
The Texans did not give up a sack in this game, which is a positive for their offensive line. But what was not positive was how the Texans handled the blitz for most of the game. CJ Stroud got rid of the football when he was pressured, saving would-be yardage lost by a sack and keeping the Texans out of bad situations. But on some of the blitzes, it looked like there were no answers for Stroud to the blitz. Usually when a team blitzes, a quarterback has an answer: dumping to a running back on a short route out of the backfield or throwing it into the window created by the blitz. Stroud was fading away, throwing the football deep and hoping his wide receiver would make a play on more than a few occasions against the Chargers. The challenge going forward for Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley is to figure out the answers to give Stroud when under pressure, because teams heading into the playoffs will be watching this game tape and making game plans based on what's been shown. And as far as Stroud, he has to execute those answers, provided they are given and work effectively.
Another issue to take a look at is Houston's offensive aggressiveness. The Texans’ offense and everyone else know they have one of the best defenses in the NFL. They have been phenomenal in all situations and lead the NFL in scoring defense, allowing only 16.6 points per game. With that incredible defense, they were aggressive right out of the gate, resulting in two long touchdown passes of 75 and 43 yards. The Chargers’ defense adjusted, and the Texans scored only six more points to finish the game. Still, it seemed the aggressiveness they started the game with lessened, and they reverted to some of the struggles they had been having offensively throughout the season. The Texans' offense can afford to make mistakes, but they should do so by being more aggressive and attacking the opposing defense rather than playing cautiously at times.
This was the longest TD allowed by the Chargers defense since David Montgomery's 75-yard TD run in Week 10, 2023.
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) December 27, 2025
CJ Stroud is 4/4, 142 yards 2 TDs. Texans up 14-0
pic.twitter.com/7hKKFaDYa2
Usually, teams entering the playoffs with long winning streaks do well, and there are fewer questions. But with this Texans team, there are still questions about their offense. The defense is championship-worthy, but can the offense make the adjustments needed to reach their ultimate goal: the Super Bowl? Or will they be the hindrance to their title aspirations? Only time will tell, but there is still time to keep tinkering and get that offense where it needs or wants to be.