When: 10 a.m. Sunday
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
TV/Radio: Ch. 2; 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)
Line: Chargers by 5½
Notable injury designations: Chargers: WR Keenan Allen (out, hamstring), C Corey Linsley (questionable, knee), TD Donald Parham Jr. (questionable, hamstring). Texans: TE Pharaoh Brown (hip/shoulder, questionable), OL Austin Deculus (ankle, out), DL Kurt Hinish (foot, questionable), TE Brevin Jordan (ankle, out), LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (back, questionable), DB Isaac Yiadom (thigh, questionable).
What’s at stake: A victory could put an end to any talk of a season on the brink for the Chargers. Maybe. Injuries have mounted and, after a lackluster loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, their season seemed like it might be on the verge of spiraling out of their control. Injuries continue to be a concern, especially with quarterback Justin Herbert battling fractured rib cartilage, left tackle Rashawn Slater out for the season because of a left biceps injury and edge rusher Joey Bosa undergoing groin surgery. Must-win? Yeah, you could say that.
Who’s better: The Texans are improved, but the Chargers at full strength are the superior team. Problem is, the Chargers aren’t at full strength with Herbert dinged up, Slater out for the season and Bosa sidelined for an indefinite period. The Chargers played well in splitting their first two games, but then tossed a clunker in last week’s loss to the Jaguars. Houston is winless after a tie with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and losses to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears the past two weeks. Quarterback David Mills threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in the Texans’ 41-29 victory over the Chargers on Dec. 26. It was a mismatch, but not the way anyone might have expected, and the loss ultimately proved costly to the Chargers, whose overtime loss in the regular-season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders officially knocked them out of a playoff spot.
Matchup to watch: The Chargers’ offensive line must win the trench battle against the Texans’ defensive line and edge rushers. It won’t be an easy assignment with Slater out for the season and rookie Jamaree Salyer replacing him and center Corey Linsley battling a nagging knee injury. Will Clapp is expected to replace Linsley, though Linsley is expected to play.
Chargers win if: Their offensive line must hold together, protecting Herbert and opening room for running backs Austin Ekeler and Sony Michel. Herbert is looking for his seventh consecutive road start with 300 yards passing or more. Rich Gannon holds the NFL record with eight in a row from 2001-02. The Chargers have yet to record a rushing touchdown this season.
Fantasy sleeper: Ekeler was last week’s fantasy sleeper and he had a team-leading eight receptions. His totals of 21 catches and 139 yards lead all running backs in the NFL through three games. He has averaged only 2.5 yards per carry, though, a statistic that’s bound to go up against a Texans defense giving up an average of 410 total yards per game.
Prediction: It’s difficult to pick against the Chargers despite their many injuries to key players, and if there was a week to take the Texans then this would be it. This looks like the week the Chargers get back on track, however. This is an opponent the Chargers can exploit on both sides of the ball, especially if Herbert’s ribs are feeling better than last week. Chargers 28, Texans 20.
