CHARGERS (0-7) vs. TEXANS (2-5)
When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/Radio: KCBS (Ch. 2); 640 AM/103.9/98.3 FM (Spanish)
Line: Texans by 5.5 points
Notable injury designations
Chargers: OUT: DB Deane Leonard (concussion), S Kendall Williamson (calf); DOUBTFUL: LG Kayode Awosika (fibula), TE David Njoku (fibula), LB Denzel Perryman (pectoral), WR Brenen Thompson (quadricep/hamstring).
Texans: OUT: S Reed Blankenship (concussion/hand), RB David Montgomery (groin).
What’s at stake: No question, the Chargers have been the biggest disappointment in the NFL this season. Just ask the many pundits who expected them to be a double-digit winner for the third season in Jim Harbaugh’s three-year tenure as their coach. It just hasn’t worked out, obviously. Why quarterback Justin Herbert and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel haven’t clicked is one of the league’s biggest mysteries, too. The Texans haven’t exactly played up to expectations after a busy offseason, either, so it should be an intriguing matchup.
Who’s better: The Texans have two victories and the Chargers have none, so let’s go with Houston as the better team going into Week 9. The Chargers’ offense is 32nd and last in the NFL, scoring a meager average of 14.1 points per game. They haven’t scored a touchdown in 27 consecutive possessions over the past nine quarters, dating to the third quarter of a 23-17 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 5. Herbert has thrown 10 interceptions in seven games, tops in the league. The Chargers’ 27-7 victory over the Texans in their first preseason game Aug. 13 seems like a lifetime ago. Nothing has gone as planned since then.
Matchup to watch: The Texans’ defense is formidable despite their poor record and middling rankings. Their defense is giving up 24.3 points per game, which ranks 18th in the league. They are giving up 342 net yards per game (19th), 98 net yards rushing (11th) and 244 net yards passing (28th). The Chargers’ offense could finally snap to life if Herbert finally regains his confidence and re-establishes his rhythm. He did throw for a season-high 257 yards in a 24-9 loss this past Sunday to the Rams, but he also tossed two more interceptions.
Chargers win if: It seems repetitive to hang the Chargers’ success on Herbert’s broad shoulders, but we’re going to do it again anyway. At some point, if the Chargers hope to end their run of dismal play, Herbert must produce a game worthy of his enormous talent. He certainly has a track record of playing winning football. Or does he? After all, his career record is a rather unremarkable 52-50, which doesn’t include his 0-3 record in playoff games.
Fantasy sleeper: Cameron Dicker is the only smart fantasy pick from the Chargers, having kicked 12 of 14 field goals this season. He accounted for all of the Chargers’ points in Sunday’s loss to the Rams and in a 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. It’s not just that the Chargers can’t convert trips into the red zone into touchdowns, but they seem content at times to let Dicker kick field goals. It’s not a terrible move since some points are better than none.
Prediction: It’s difficult to imagine the Chargers altering their fortunes against the Texans. They are bound to win a game at some point, but that point isn’t likely to be Sunday. The oddsmakers favor the Texans, and who are we to argue? Texans 20, Chargers 10.