Chargers (8-6) at Texans (3-11)
When: 10 a.m. Sunday
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
TV/Radio: CBS (Ch. 2); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish); Sirius 132
Line: Chargers by 10 ½ points
Notable injury designations: Chargers: S Derwin James (questionable; hamstring), TE Donald Parham Jr. (injured reserve; concussion)
Texans: RB David Johnson (questionable; quadricep)
What’s at stake? An opportunity for the Chargers to gain ground in the postseason race versus a struggling opponent. The Chargers will need to take care of business against the short-handed Texans, the same they did against the New York Giants in Week 14. A loss would drastically hinder the Chargers’ playoff chances with a handful of teams vying for the three wild-card spots in the AFC.
Who’s better? The Chargers will be without edge rusher Joey Bosa, running back Austin Ekeler, wide receiver Mike Williams and center Corey Linsley. They are among six starters and 15 total Chargers on the COVID-19 reserve list, but quarterback Justin Herbert is still available to play, and that’s more than enough to beat the Texans, who are in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The Texans currently hold the third pick in the NFL draft order as two of their three wins came against the 2-12 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans will be without their best offensive player with wide receiver Brandin Cooks on the COVID-19 reserve list, along with many other Texans players.
Matchup to watch: Chargers rookie cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. versus the Texans’ wide receivers. This will be Samuel’s first game back since a concussion sidelined him for four games. Samuel was having a standout rookie year before sustaining his first concussion of the season in Week 8 against the New England Patriots and was forced to miss the following game. Samuel had a second concussion in Week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and missed the following four games. Samuel won’t face Cooks, but he’ll get a chance to show how much he’s progressed in the past month.
Chargers win if: … They put pressure on Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills, who has struggled in eight starts this season. With Bosa sidelined, Kenneth Murray will start at edge rusher next to Uchenna Nwosu. They could have a productive day against a struggling Texans offensive line that has allowed 38 sacks this season. Mills, the Texans’ third-round pick this year, has completed 65.6% of his passes with 1,946 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
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Fantasy sleeper: Chargers running back Justin Jackson is in line to start with Ekeler ruled out. Jackson is coming off his best performance of the season when he recorded 86 yards on 13 carries (6.6 yards per carry) versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Jackson continues to be inconsistent because of injuries, but he tends to shine when healthy. The Texans are allowing a league-worst 145 rushing yards per game.
Prediction: Herbert will throw three touchdowns and save the day with many Chargers ruled out for the game in Houston. The Chargers will beat the Texans 30-13 and will be a step closer to clinching a playoff berth.