Official Texans @ Chargers Game Thread, 9/22/2019
 

The 1-1 Texans hit the road to to take on the 1-1 Los Angeles Chargers in a late game at something called Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. The Chargers stubbed their toe several times in a 13-10 road loss to the Detroit Lions last week. They should have some motivation to right the ship. Meanwhile, the Texans needed a break to get a 13-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at home.

This is a tough game to call. Both teams are similar. The Chargers were a 12-4 team last year but have a few pieces missing from that team. The Chargers are 5-1 all time vs. the Texans. This is a excellent opportunity for the Texans to re-write their historical trends, but I'm calling for another close game for the Texans with the home team prevailing.

Chargers 22, Texans 20

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), 3:25pm, Sunday, 9/22/2019

Announcers = Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

The line = Chargers by 3 to 3½

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (early) = Baltimore @ Kansas City, Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

FOX (early) = Miami @ Dallas, Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

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Prime time:

TNF = Tennessee @ Jacksonville (NFLN)

SNF = LA Rams @ Cleveland (NBC)

MNF = Chicago @ Washington (ESPN)

The oddsmakers are essentially calling this a "pick 'em" (it's presumed home teams get three points for being at home). I guess the Chargers so far haven't distinguished themselves (OT home win and close road loss) while the Texans (close road loss, close home win) haven't distinguished themselves either. D-Hop aside, I just think the Chargers have better weapons.

Ya, in the cash pickem contest I am in, so far 80% are taking the Texans and the points. (This is only exceeded by 87% on the Rams over Browns on SNF.) This is at a website full of gamblers. Doesn't mean they're right - I see these lopsided picks fail all the time but it does show there is generally favorable sentiment towards the Texans (Watson effect?).

In the ESPN spread pickem contest, it's a little more milder 62% on the Texans. Very much a John Q Public sampling.

There's a relatively new buzz phrase going around called "recency bias". This is where you allow a strong (or weak) recent team performance to influence your decision. Not something to be relied on, but more like something to be acknowledged...

Allegedly, the Dallas-Miami game this week is setting a record for the largest Vegas point spread in gambling history. You remember what happened when that occurred in baseball recently? The Detroit Tigers beat Justin Verlander in Houston. Somebody made a huge payday on that.

There's one week every year where the NFL is filled with upsets. I think the NFLPA heads to Vegas that week and lays their pension funds on the underdogs and the players on good teams are instructed to lay down. Don't make it too obvious but just fumble or throw a pick at a crucial time so the union gets paid.

A $100 2-team moneyline parlay bet with the Jets (+1375 to beat the Pats) and the Dolphins (+1375 to beat the Cowboys) will win you $21,656.25.

Will lose you $100 I think is what you meant to say.

Eheh, true. I love doggie ML parlays but even that one is too steep for me...

Texans kicking off to the Chargers. Touchback.

Texans force them into a 3 and out. Chargers punting to the Texans.

Carter brings it back to about the Texan 26. Texans ball.

12:45 left in the 1st qtr.

Oh man, Watson passes backwards and the Chargers fall on it at the Texan 15. Chargers ball.

What a gift to the Chargers....

Chargers make the most of it with a 7 yard TD pass to K Allen.

Chargers 7, Texans 0

9:41 left in the 1st qtr.

End of the 1st qtr finds the Chargers with the ball around midfield and moving.

Chargers 7, Texans 0

Ty Long is good from 34 on the FG.

Chargers 10, Texans 0

After a long pass to Stills, a 15-yard penalty on the Chargers for roughing the passer, Watson finds Fells in the end zone for the 16 yard TD pass.

Chargers 10, Texans 7

8:11 left in the half.

Texans giving better effort today. The WTF "lateral" by Watson is really what has caused the deficit. OL protection has been better. Secondary still leaks like a sieve.

Rivers hits Allen for a 12-yard TD.

Chargers 17, Texans 7

22 seconds left in the half.

Terrible defense on that last drive before the half, but...

Williams clubs Johnson in the head with a fully extended arm and gets 5 yards of space to make a catch. Then Johnson covers him perfectly and gets called for an imaginary PI.

How are you supposed to play when the refs call things like that? They've essentially declared offense wins.

Watson connects on a long pass as time winds down leaving 1 second left for a Fairbairn 56-yard FG.

He misses.

Chargers 17, Texans 7

Halftime.

The early gift to the Chargers might turn out to be fatal. Need more pressure on Rivers because he will throw some INT's.

Texans will receive the 2nd half kickoff.

I love how all 3 phases got in on the bad play to close the half.

First at the 2 minute warning on 2nd and 3 Watson bypasses the open RB who has 20 yards for free to fit it in downfield but misses the pass. His insistence on the tough play is getting him killed and hamstringing our offense. The rest of the NFL is thriving on easy completions to the RB. We traded a 3rd for the #2 pass catching RB in the NFL and we can't get him the ball because our QB won't check down.

Then our defense gets shredded with less than 2 minutes left to give up a length of the field TD drive.

Then when Watson produces a miracle to get us a FG try, our Kicker shanks it.

At least all 3 phases are contributing equally to the loss.

TV announcer put the hex on CareBare by talking about his made FG streak before a 56-yarder. Of course, he misses.

In other action, The Niners have committed four turnovers in the first half but now leads over Pittsburgh, 10-6. The last 47 teams to make four turnovers in a game have a record of 0-46-1. Niners may be able to beat the odds. Mason Rudolph has just 40 yds passing.

Deep pass to Fuller goes to the Charger 3. From there, Hyde punches it in.

Chargers 17, Texans 14

7:31 left in the 3rd qtr.

If we want a chance at winning we need to keep them out of 3rd and long.

Chargers driving and Merci forces the strip sack on Rivers. Texans get the recovery! Texans ball at their own 27!

Thanks to a couple of penalties on the Chargers, the Texans put a drive together and Watson finds Akins for the 15-yard TD!

Texans 21, Chargers 17

1:19 left in the 3rd qtr.

THROW THE BALL AWAY!

We get bailed out with offsetting penalties, but if Watson doesn't learn to throw the ball away he's going to end up out of the league and crippled in 3 years.

What do I know?

A few plays later he magically creates a 53 yard TD that is 100% possible only because he refuses to throw the ball away.

Woohoo! Watson evades the rush and finds Akins on a short pass who turns it into a 53-yard TD!

Fairbairn misses the XP.

Texans 27, Chargers 17

9:40 left in the game.

Texans winning the 2nd half 20-0.

That missed extra point keeps SD in the game.

Chargers answer with a 43-yard Ty Long FG.

Texans 27, Chargers 20

7:14 left in the game.

Update: Niners now have committed five turnovers but just reclaimed the lead, 24-20, with 75 seconds left.

The reason I've followed this is SF was my suicide pick this week. I didn't want to waste my Cowboys and Patriots cards this early.

And, of course, the Chargers connect for a 1st down on 4th and 13. Ball at the Texans 42.

2 minute warning.

Nail-bitin' time.

Chargers have us right where they want us - 4th and long.

Finally, the defense comes up with a stop at the end of a close game.

Texans win it!

Final score:

Texans 27, Chargers 20

Whew!

I saw on the ESPN website tweet column, someone has put up $506,000 on the Browns +3.5 tonight. Goodness, not sure if I trust the Browns that much, yet.

At least we now know what Antonio Brown is doing.

Haha!

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This is funny.

You know, this is one hell of a Jekyll and Hyde team. They looked like dogshit last week. Looked like dogshit in the first half today.

The second half was pretty sublime. The pass protection was amazing. I don't know that I have ever entertained that thought while watching a Texans offense. The secondary has a lot of problems and are going to give up a lot of points this year, but they made plays when they had to. The front six/seven was really good. Their RB has been torching teams and he didn't do much today. Tons of pressure on Rivers. Just a really, really strong effort.

I hope that BOB eventually learns that Deshaun can just sling the ball around and good things happen. He'll throw some picks, sure. He'll do some dumb shit, sure. He'll ignore his checkdown a lot of the time, sure. That early turnover was one of the most idiotic plays I have ever seen. He had Stills standing there alone on the other side of the field but he seemed to have no idea. So, you know, he threw the ball backwards into the ground, like you do.

You never know what you're going to get with these goons. Despite their many and evident problems they are absolutely capable of beating any team in the league. They are also capable of losing to most any team in the league. Try as they might, I don't see how they could lose to the Dolphins.

And let me just say, I don't really understand all of the AB hate. I understand it insofar as it pertains to sexual assault, you know. I'm fairly consistently anti -sexual assault. I don't care if you ARE watching a televangelist. They can be quite titillating, I'll grant you. But a basic amount of decorum is indicated.

Anyhoo, Brown hates Robert Kraft. I hate Robert Kraft. He trolls Robert Kraft on the tweeter talking about his Jupiter rub and tug joint. I am totally here for that.

I hope he does whatever he can to expose the idiocy and extraordinary hypocrisy of NFL owners.

Watson tried to play modern low risk NFL QB in the first quarter and it went poorly. I’m not sure if that’s him or O’Brien or both. In the 2nd half he slung it like chuck said. He took unnecessary hits. He missed high percentage plays. He threw an absurd INT that he got bailed out on...

And he dominated a very good football team on the road.

The more they turn him loose the better. The less they coach him the better. Oftentimes it looks like he’s purposely not throwing it on time because he wants to wait for things to get mixed up so he can make an off schedule play. I think a smart GM might just draft OL early every year to build a super OL around him to keep him alive while he plays Superman. Do that and there’s a shot every year he puts together 4 playoff games to win the Super Bowl.

I almost always take the side of millionaire players over billionaire owners when they haggle over dollars. I hope the pats have to pay him. But I think some of my hate comes from the fact that he’s a millionaire who has repeatedly stiffed a bunch of average joes on the bill after promising to pay for their services. Chefs and painters and personal trainers can’t afford to not get paid and it’s awful that he cheats them because he thinks he can do whatever he wants.