NFL Playoffs 2025: Previewing Texans vs. Chargers Wild Card matchup

One of the joys of NFL Playoff football is getting to watch two teams with drastically differing styles of play clash with one another.

Nowhere is that clearer than the first Wild Card matchup on the slate, between the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers.

On one side, we have the Jim Harbaugh led Chargers, with their stingy defense and grinding, metronomically consistent offense. On the other, we have what might be the single most chaotic team in the playoffs this year, the Houston Texans. With a supremely talented offense that either puts up points in droves or struggles to move the ball, and a defense that could charitably be described as inconsistent, it's impossible to know which Texans team is going to show up week to week.

So, who will come out on top of this one? Will Harbaugh's grinding consistency win the day, or will Houston's high-flying, high-chaos routine pull itself together enough to get the home win? Let's break it down.

Texans' Offense: There's no denying that the Texans aren't the high-flying, high-octane unit they were last season. They've struggled with consistency all season long, but when it's clicking, this is the team's biggest strength.

Why the regression? The offensive line has been, in a word, abysmal. Pro Football Focus ranks them 27th in the NFL, while Ben Rolfe of the Pro Football Network ranks Houston as second-worst offensive line in the NFL. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has spent a good portion of the season running for his life, and their shocking play makes Joe Mixon's 1,016 yard, 11 touchdown performance this season even more impressive.

Making matters worse, the Texans' wide receiver corps has been decimated by injuries. Stefon Diggs has been out since Week 9 with a knee injury, while Tank Dell went down in Week 16, and won't play in these playoffs. Only Nico Collins remains standing from their talented troika, and it's unclear if he can do this on his own. Stroud is a superstar in the making at this point, but relying on the unproven John Metchie and the aging Robert Woods in the playoffs is not a recipe for success.

Texans' Defense: The Texans' defense isn't bad, necessarily, but good also isn't a word I'd use to describe it. They exist and occasionally do their job. They rank 14th in the NFL in points allowed, but have given up 30 or more points just three times this season. They don't give up extended drives, allowing the sixth-fewest yards on the year, but the drives they do give up tend to end in points.

The problem? They have a knack for allowing passing touchdowns, giving up 31 on the year, which ranks 30th. They do have the second-most interceptions in the league with 19, so this secondary is incredibly boom-or-bust. Get them in the red zone, and you'll likely get yourself a touchdown as well; they rank 27th in red zone touchdown percentage in the league.

Path to Victory: Nico Collins and John Metchie are going to need to have the games of their lives. The offensive line needs to have its best game of the season. If the line can hang on, and the corners decide to intercept passes instead of giving up touchdowns, there's a good shot here.

Chargers' Offense: If you wanted to use one word to describe the Chargers on offense this season, it would be consistent. This team isn't going to come out and drop 50 on you, but they're probably not going to score less than 17, either. They've been one of the hottest units in football in the last three weeks, averaging 36 points per game in the last three weeks.

You may look at their stats in those three weeks, and see the massive numbers quarterback Justin Herbert put up as the key, but anyone who has watched a Harbaugh offense in the last decade knows that the real key is the run game. With J.K. Dobbins back from his knee injury in the last two games, things are moving much more smoothly in L.A.

But make no mistake, Herbert has looked excellent as well. His connection with rookie wideout Ladd McConkey has been fantastic, and the pair of them are the key to the passing game for the Bolts.

Chargers' Defense: The real heart and soul of this team is the defense. The Chargers have the absolute best scoring defense in the NFL, allowing just 17.7 points per game. They rank near the top of the league in sacks, with 46 on the year, and rank eighth in interceptions. They don't give up big plays, ranking fifth in yards after the catch allowed.

If you're going to get the Bolts somewhere, it's going to be on the ground, though. While they only allowed seven rushing touchdowns on the year, they coughed up 4.7 yards per carry, sixth-worst in the NFL this season.

Path to Victory: The defense gets in Stroud's face all night, and the offense keeps doing what it's been doing all year. Run the ball well, don't turn it over, and you'll have success all game long.

The Verdict: The Texans are too banged up to feel good about picking them here, even in a home game. Expect the Chargers' defense to give Stroud fits, and for them to cruise to a solid 7-to-10 point win.

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