A Dominant Display in Inglewood
The Houston Texans established control early and never looked back, routing the Los Angeles Chargers 44-22 at SoFi Stadium. Quarterback C.J. Stroud orchestrated the offense with precision, connecting on five touchdown passes to lead his team to a decisive victory over a struggling Chargers squad.
Stroud finished the game completing 21 of 35 pass attempts for 384 yards and five touchdowns, although he did throw one interception. His primary targets were Kayshon Boutte, who caught four passes for 125 yards and two scores, and other key contributors who helped build an insurmountable lead through the first three quarters.
Scoring Breakdown by Quarter
Houston jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Stroud found Xavier Hutchinson on a 17-yard touchdown pass, followed by a kick from Ka’imi Fairbairn. The Chargers responded with a Cameron Dicker 52-yard field goal to make it 7-3 before Fairbairn added another field goal from 56 yards out, extending the Texans' advantage to 10-3 at the end of the period.
The second quarter saw Los Angeles’ kicker Cameron Dicker chip away at the deficit with two field goals, bringing the score to 10-9. However, Houston’s offense exploded to take control. Stroud connected with Tank Dell on a 63-yard touchdown pass and later found Kayshon Boutte on a 12-yard strike. These two scores, each followed by Fairbairn’s extra point, pushed the lead to 24-9 before halftime.
The third quarter was scoreless for both teams, leaving Houston with a commanding 24-9 advantage heading into the final frame. The Texans added another touchdown in the fourth quarter when Stroud threw his fifth of the game to Nico Collins on a 13-yard pass, making it 31-9.
