The Texans are now 7-2 in the playoffs. After each of their seven victories, they’ve been eliminated on the road in the divisional round. If they continue to play defense the way they did against the Chargers, they’ll be capable of beating just about anybody.
While they were preparing for the Chargers, Ryans said the game would come down to how the Texans’ defensive line played against the Los Angeles offensive line, one of the NFL’s best.
What the Texans’ linemen – and the defense — did to the Chargers was embarrassing for Harbaugh, who prides himself on being physical.
The Chargers came to Houston with a three-game winning streak and an 11-6 record in Harbaugh’s first season. They allowed a league-low 17.7 points a game, committed only nine turnovers and surrendered 18 red zone touchdowns, fewest in the league. They outscored opponents by 101 points.
The Chargers were 6-3 on the road, and Herbert threw three interceptions, fewest in the league.
The Texans entered postseason with a 1-5 record against playoff teams, including five consecutive losses. They lost those games by an average of 11 points.
No wonder the Chargers were favored.
But what the Texans did best this season – recorded a team-record 49 sacks, pressured quarterbacks, produced 29 takeaways and 19 interceptions – carried over into Saturday’s game.
The way the linemen harassed Herbert, pressuring him on 52 percent of his dropbacks, was so impressive. According to NextGenStats, Herbert was under pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 11 pass attempts.
Herbert finished with 14-of-32 for 242 yards and a rating of 40.9. His best pass was an 86-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Ladd McConkey.
The Texans limited the Chargers to 261 yards, including 50 rushing and a 2.8-yard average per carry.
“Our defense dominated,” Ryans said. “That’s who we want to be. They played our brand of…
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