The Texans have figured out how to fix their defense: Play the Chargers.
Los Angeles has now gone 34 possessions without a touchdown. It has not reached the end zone since Kimani Vidal ran 42 yards for a score with 57 seconds remaining in the third quarter in an Oct. 11 loss to the Broncos.
The Texans limited the Chargers to 98 yards and held them to only three Cameron Dicker field goals of 52, 33 and 43 yards. They sacked Justin Herbert four times, including two by Sheldon Rankins.
Houston leads Los Angeles 24-9 at halftime.
Kayshon Boutte caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud with 31 seconds left in the half, completing a seven-play, 76-yard drive that might have been the deathknell for the Chargers.
The Texans have 267 yards, with Stroud going 15-of-24 for 230 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell scored his first touchdown since the 2024 season, 687 days ago, with a 63-yard catch-and-run down the right sideline. Dell missed the 2025 season and six games this season while working his way back from a gruesome knee injury that ended his 2024 season.
Dell has two catches for 66 yards and Boutte two for 47. Woody Marks has 26 yards on seven carries.
Herbert is 9-of-17 for 63 yards, with one of his favorite wide receivers, Ladd McConkey, yet to play because of back spasms during pregame warmups.