Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Chargers Receive Unfortunate News Immediately After Texans Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Dec 27, 2025 7:42 PM ET

The Los Angeles Chargers entered Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Texans with multiple objectives still in play. Riding a four-game winning streak and already having clinched a playoff berth, the Chargers welcomed Houston aiming to take another critical step toward securing the AFC West title and remaining in the hunt for the conference’s top seed.

With the Denver Broncos still ahead in the division standings, the game represented a must-win opportunity for Los Angeles to keep pressure on Denver entering the final week of the regular season.

Instead, the Chargers were outplayed for much of the afternoon, losing 20-16 despite a late comeback attempt. The Texans struck early, racing to a 14-0 first-quarter lead on explosive plays, including a 75-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Jayden Higgins and a 43-yard strike to Jaylin Noel. Houston maintained control through the first half, forcing the Chargers into a reactive approach.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (90).Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Chargers rallied in the second half with two touchdowns, cutting the deficit to four points with 3:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. But the early deficit proved too steep to overcome as Houston’s top-ranked defense proved too stubborn to overcome.

Quarterback Justin Herbert finished 21 of 32 for 236 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while being sacked five times as Los Angeles totaled 275 yards of offense.

The loss drops the Chargers to 11-5 and officially eliminates them from AFC West title contention, as they can no longer catch the Broncos (13-3) atop the division. As a result, Los Angeles is locked into a Wild Card berth and will open the postseason on the road.

The @Broncos have won the AFC West for the first time since 2015 pic.twitter.com/eFehdgdSQ5
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

If the season ended today, the Chargers would travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Pittsburgh currently needs a win in either of its remaining two games to clinch the AFC North title, positioning them as a likely host.

With their playoff seeding now confirmed, the Chargers will shift focus toward postseason preparation. They still close the regular season with a Week 18 road game against the Broncos, a matchup that could have decided the AFC West had Los Angeles taken care of business against Houston.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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