Los Angeles get an early field goal, then a quick turnover as it tries to take control early against Houston as the NFL playoffs kick off. Follow along.
The 2024-25 NFL playoffs are here and the festivities get started in Houston, where the 10-7 AFC South champion Texans host the 11-6 wild-card Los Angeles Chargers. This is a familiar position for the Texans — aside from what’s become a seemingly regular Saturday afternoon wild-card TV slot — in that they were in this same spot last year, opening the playoffs at home. Last January, Houston clobbered the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in C.J. Stroud’s first playoff game and he was solid, throwing for 267 yards with three touchdown passes.
Justin Herbert has made just one career playoff start, and it’s one that Chargers fans would like to forget. L.A. was last seen in the playoffs in January 2023, blowing a 27-7 third-quarter lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars to lose 31-30 on a last-second field goal. This time, though, the Chargers’ defense may be better suited for a road challenge — the unit led the league, allowing just 17.7 points per game this season, and the Chargers did not allow any of their nine road opponents to score more than 20 points on their own home field.
How to watch Chargers vs. Texans AFC wild-card game
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium | Houston
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+, Fubo
