Chargers AFC West title hopes shattered in loss

What started as a blowout, ended as a down-to-the-wire end Saturday, as the Houston Texans held off the Chargers with a 20-16 victory at SoFi Stadium.

The end result rippled through the AFC, with the Denver Broncos clinching the AFC West, and the Indianapolis Colts eradicated from playoff competition. The Broncos are the first staff other than Kansas City to win the division in the past decade.

The Chargers (11-5), who had gained 4 in a row, made some uncharacteristic errors to burn up scoring probabilities.

Justin Herbert, who in any other case had a great and gutty recreation, was intercepted a yard away from the end zone in the first half.

Cameron Dicker, the most correct kicker in NFL historical past, missed for the first time in his profession inside of 40 yards and in the fourth quarter hooked an extra-point attempt, only the fourth PAT miss of his profession.

Herbert accomplished 21 of 32 passes for 236 yards with a landing and interception.

Houston’s C.J. Stroud accomplished 16 of 28 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Texans (11-5), who acquired off to an 0-3 start this season, got here into Saturday’s recreation driving a seven-game profitable streak.

They performed host to the Chargers in the first spherical of the playoffs last season and collected a 32-12 victory, intercepting Herbert 4 instances.

On Saturday, Herbert stored the Chargers in the sport, absorbing hits from every angle yet still throwing a one-yard landing cross to Oronde Gadsden II at the end of the third quarter and setting up another landing, a five-yard run by rookie Omarion Hampton, with 3:37 left in the fourth.

Dicker missed the additional level on the latter landing, which means the Chargers couldn’t tie with a subject objective and needed a landing.

At the end of the first half, Dicker missed a 32-yard subject objective, and bizarre as that was, it encapsulated what form of start it was for the Chargers.

They had been flat and flat-footed from the start, surrendering a 75-yard landing cross on Houston’s first possession and a 43-yard landing cross on the second.

The Texans had been up, 14-0, before the Chargers acquired their initial first down.

Herbert was sacked thrice in the half, and on the first appeared to have damage his surgically repaired left hand. At least he was wincing and favoring that hand as he walked off the sector, but it didn’t sideline him.

Despite getting off to a two-touchdown lead, the Texans didn’t run away with the sport.

Derwin James Jr. had an interception early in the second quarter to set up a subject objective for the Chargers.

The Chargers acquired a subject objective and moved into place for a landing in the second quarter when Herbert linked with Quentin Johnston for a 60-yard gain.

On the next play, however, Herbert tried to hit Gadsden over the center. The cross wasn’t completely timed, and glanced off the arms of the rookie tight end, who was close to the objective line. Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair made the interception at the one.

Minutes later, the Chargers would get another golden alternative to rating. Elijah Molden made an interception at the Houston 32, and his staff made it into the pink zone before Dicker’s failed attempt.