The Los Angeles Chargers entered Week 17’s matchup against the Houston Texans on a four game winning streak. Los Angeles had already clinched a playoff berth but the team had a shot at securing the No. 1 seed in the conference if they won their final two games and got some help. But the Texans ruined the Chargers’ dreams of finishing atop the AFC as Houston topped LA 20-16 on Saturday.
The Texans put immediate pressure on Los Angeles by opening the game with back-to-back touchdown drives. But despite a rough first half, the Chargers battled back. Justin Herbert made it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. But Los Angeles ultimately fell short.
Still, Jim Harbaugh was proud of his team, noting the group’s never-say-die attitude. “What I think is, every day, every time we see our team take the field, we see a team committed to winning,” Harbaugh said, per The Los Angeles Times’ Benjamin Royer. “And we didn’t win today, but at no point I mean never, never, never does this team say ‘no mas.’”
Charges fall short against Texans in Week 17 loss
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The Chargers’ offensive line faced a major challenge going up against Houston’s top-ranked defense. Herbert was sacked five times and absorbed another eight hits on Saturday. But the sixth-year QB hung in the pocket, completing 21/32 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Chargers couldn’t get anything going early, trailing 14-3 at halftime. But the team rallied in the second half. A seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter gave Los Angeles life. But Cameron Dicker missed the extra point, leaving the Chargers down by four. And LA wouldn’t get the ball back as the Texans ran out the clock.
It was a rough day for Dicker, who missed a crucial PAT as well as a 32-yard field goal in the first half. Fans were fuming over the Chargers’ sloppy performance. But the team is playoff-bound for the second straight year. Los Angeles will close out the regular season against the Denver Broncos in Week 18.