Texans' defense praised for stellar performance in playoff victory over Chargers

In the playoffs, Herbert has a record of 0-2.

Texans' defense praised for stellar performance in playoff victory over Chargers
Texans' defense praised for stellar performance in playoff victory over Chargers

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert made four interceptions in a 32-12 playoff loss to the Houston Texans. During the regular season, Herbert threw only three interceptions, making him one of the few quarterbacks to achieve this feat, alongside Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

Herbert's performance on Saturday was arguably the worst of his career, with four interceptions and just 14 completions on 32 attempts.

The historic collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round was his only other playoff game, which dropped him to 0-2 in the playoffs.

During and after Saturday's game, Herbert faced severe criticism on social media.

Saturday's game also featured a unique moment in NFL playoff history.

In the fourth quarter, D'Angelo Ross of Houston's team scored two points by returning a blocked extra point. This was the first such play to occur in NFL postseason history.

herbert sacked
Will Anderson Jr. (51) of the Houston Texans sacks Justin Herbert. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

In the fourth quarter, an 86-yard reception by Ladd McConkey was followed by a blocked extra point attempt by Denico Autry.

Ross grabbed the ball after it bounced off Dicker's hands and returned it for a score, increasing Houston's lead to 25-12.

In 2015, the NFL changed its rule for an extra point return, awarding two points instead of a touchdown. Prior to this change, a blocked extra point that was recovered by the defense resulted in a dead ball.

Since the rule change, the Eagles have returned a ninth extra point, which occurred once during the 2024 regular season against Tampa Bay on Sept. 29, according to Sportradar.

Denico Autry
Denico Autry of the Houston Texans sacks Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers in the third quarter of an AFC wild-card game at NRG Stadium Jan. 11, 2025, in Houston, Texas.  (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

The Chargers have gone six consecutive seasons without a playoff win, with their last victory in a postseason game occurring in 2018 when they defeated the Baltimore Ravens.

For the second consecutive year, the Texans won a playoff game, with quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans leading the team.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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by Jackson Thompson

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