Chargers’ playoff hopes take a hit after falling to Houston Texans

The Chargers started a unusual crippled Sunday with a unsocial announcement earlier facing the Houston Texans. They had nary inactive players to study due to the fact that they lone had 48 players available.

The fig was trimmed to 46 players aft No. 1 extracurricular cornerback Michael Davis came down with an unwellness and prima information Derwin James was kept connected the sideline arsenic an in-case-of-emergency player.

Trailing the Texans successful the 4th fourth portion successful the midst of a playoff contention didn’t suffice arsenic an exigency for Chargers manager Brandon Staley. Chargers backmost Justin Herbert on with galore backup players needed to find a mode without James, who was nursing a hamstring injury.

Herbert carved a way for a comeback, but Texans moving backmost Rex Burkhead had a vocation time arsenic the Texans completed the upset with a 41-29 triumph and enactment a dent successful the Chargers’ playoff hopes. The Chargers (8-7) entered Sunday with the sixth effect successful the AFC.

Burkhead had a career-high 149 rushing yards connected 22 carries with 2 touchdowns. Herbert finished 27 of 35 for 336 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

The Chargers entered the crippled with 13 progressive players connected the COVID-19 reserve list, including moving backmost Austin Ekeler, borderline rusher Joey Bosa, halfway Corey Linsley and wide receiver Mike Williams. But that database astir apt can’t clasp value arsenic an excuse due to the fact that the Texans (4-11) had 16 progressive players connected their microorganism database and lone had 3 wins earlier facing the Chargers, 2 of which came against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars.

Texans rookie backmost Davis Mills enactment the crippled distant with a 13-yard touchdown walk to wide receiver Nico Collins for a 34-23 vantage with 2:32 near successful regulation. Defensive backmost Tavierre Thomas added the other nail with a pick-six interception against Herbert to widen the pb to 41-23 with 1:49 successful the 4th quarter.

Herbert attempted the comeback aft the Chargers fell down 12 points with little than 9 minutes near successful the last quarter. Running backmost Justin Jackson had a 9-yard rushing touchdown and Herbert connected with choky extremity Jared Cook connected the 2-point conversion to trim the shortage 27-23 with 5:50 near successful regulation.

The Texans capitalized connected a Jackson fumble and extended their pb to 27-15 aft a 25-yard tract extremity from Dominik Eberle with 8:54 successful the 4th quarter. They made it 24-15 aft Burkhead scored connected a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 13:37 near successful regulation.

Mills showed disconnected his limb spot with 2 passes for 35-plus yards connected their last thrust of the archetypal half. Mills connected with wide receiver Phillip Dorsett for a 36-yard completion and ended the thrust with a 41-yard touchdown to wide receiver Chris Conley to retake the pb 17-12 with 27 seconds near earlier halftime.

Mills, a third-round prime this year, had occurrence against the Chargers’ short-handed secondary by spreading the shot astir without his champion wide receiver successful Brandin Cooks, who’s connected the COVID-19 reserve list.

Chargers cornerback Davontae Harris struggled filling successful for Davis and was successful sum for Conley’s touchdown.

Despite his important fumble, Jackson continued his late-season surge with a 17-yard touchdown to springiness the Chargers a 12-7 pb with 11:15 successful the 2nd quarter. Jackson, who filled successful for Ekeler, recorded his archetypal touchdown successful 3 seasons. He got an assistance from Houston autochthonal and rookie near tackle Rashawn Slater, who provided a gaping spread connected the near side. Jackson, however, was abbreviated connected the pursuing tally during the 2-point conversion attempt.

The Texans entered the crippled with the worst rushing discourtesy successful the NFL, but it didn’t look similar it connected their archetypal drive. Burkhead broke escaped connected the near broadside and recorded a 25-yard rushing touchdown to springiness the Texans a 7-3 pb with 6:25 successful the archetypal quarter.

Houston gained 44 rushing yards connected the scoring drive, astir coming connected the near broadside against Kenneth Murray, who made his starting debut astatine borderline rusher. The Texans entered Sunday averaging 77.4 rushing yards per game.

The Chargers’ unsocial discourtesy with wide receivers Jason Moore and Michael Bandy connected the tract stalled doubly adjacent midfield for 2 tract goals from Dustin Hopkins to extremity the archetypal 4th trailing 7-6.

Gilbert Manzano reported from Los Angeles. This communicative volition beryllium updated.