Texans Rout Chargers 44-22 Led by C.J. Stroud's Five TDs

C.J. Stroud overcomes illness to lead Texans over Chargers

C.J. Stroud threw five touchdown passes on Sunday to lead the Houston Texans to a 44-22 victory over the winless Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

Stroud, who reported feeling lousy all week and woke up with chills on game day, completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards, according to the Associated Press.

The performance included two season-best 63-yard touchdown passes to Tank Dell and Kayshon Boutte.

“I don’t know what I had, but was not feeling good,” Stroud said.

“My teammates really helped me. “Just to have that type of performance under the weather a little bit was to me a reflection of our team and our resilience,” he said.”

The Texans (3-5) have won three of their last four games after starting the 2026 season with four consecutive losses.

C.J. Stroud goes off for 5 TDs as Texans demolish Chargers in Week 9

Houston coach DeMeco Ryans noted that Stroud’s ability to provide elite execution and playmaking gave the entire team confidence.

“I’m proud of our guys for getting back to repping our style of play,” Ryans said.

Stroud finished just one touchdown shy of the franchise record of six passing scores.

The quarterback, who grew up not far from the game in Rancho Cucamonga, compared his resilient performance to Michael Jordan’s famous “flu game” in the 1997 NBA Finals.

Texans Highlights: C.J. Stroud Throws 5 TDs in 44-22 Win vs. Chargers

“Not there yet,” Stroud said, “but maybe one day.”

Chargers struggle against premier pass rush

The Chargers (0-8) endured a difficult afternoon, marked by a heavy defensive onslaught that saw quarterback Justin Herbert sacked a career-high eight times.

Herbert finished the game 13 of 23 for 193 yards and threw one interception.

“I could have done a better job of getting the ball out quicker,” Herbert said.

“I mean, they’re very good. They have a premier pass rush, and I got to do a better job getting the ball out,” he added.

C.J. Stroud Joins Texans Postgame Show After Career Day Against Chargers

Herbert played much of the game wearing a large white glove on his left hand to protect a taped finger.

Following Herbert’s departure from the field, DJ Uiagalelei entered the game and threw his first career touchdown pass, a 15-yarder to Derius Davis.

Davis recorded his first scoring catch since December 2024.

Despite the loss, the Chargers ended a 37-drive touchdown drought, which was the second-longest in NFL history.

Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers Game Highlights | NFL 2026 Season Week 9

The drought, which dated back to October 11 against Denver, concluded in the fourth quarter when Quentin Johnston caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Herbert.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh described the touchdown as a positive development.

The team’s 22 points represented their second-highest scoring output of the season.

However, the atmosphere in SoFi Stadium remained hostile, as boos from the crowd followed a loss that tied a franchise record for an 11-game losing streak, a mark previously set in 2000.

“We’ll have to figure it out and keep looking and doing our best to keep getting better because it hasn’t been good enough yet,” Herbert said.

Texans Rout Chargers 44-22 Led by C.J. Stroud's Five TDs

Statistical breakdown of Sunday’s matchup

Category	Houston Texans	Los Angeles Chargers
Final Score	44	22
Passing Yards	384 (Stroud)	193 (Herbert)
Touchdowns	5 (Stroud)	2 (Herbert/Uiagalelei)
Season Record	3-5	0-8

The Texans established momentum early, scoring on their opening drive via a 17-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Xavier Hutchinson.

The score was briefly tightened to 10-9 following a 43-yard field goal by Los Angeles kicker Cameron Dicker, who also converted two other field goals including a season-best 52-yarder.

Houston responded with a 43-second drive capped by a touchdown from Tank Dell, marking his first score since a knee injury in 2024.

The Texans’ dominance grew before halftime when Kayshon Boutte caught a 12-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 24-9.

Injuries impacted both rosters during the contest.

For Houston, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was injured late in the game.

The Chargers dealt with several absences and exits, including cornerback Isas Waxter, who left with an ankle injury in the first quarter, and defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe, who returned after an ankle injury.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey was active for the game but did not play due to back spasms.

The Texans look ahead to a matchup against Cleveland next Sunday, while the Chargers are scheduled to visit Baltimore to face former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.