(Photo: Action Network)
AFC Wild Card
(5) Los Angeles Chargers at (4) Houston Texans
Chargers: I knew they’d be a team to watch for this season. There was no way they’d win the division as the Kansas City Chiefs have locked down the AFC West for many years now, but with Jim Harbaugh comes success and winning. I’m not sure what it is or even how he does it, but wherever he goes, the winning culture comes with him and teams become better under him than what they were. The team he inherited has either been an average group or they were struggling and I knew for a fact Brandon Staley wasn’t the guy to lead them moving forward. I still remember when he got his pink slip after an embarrassing loss on a Thursday night against the Raiders. If you’ve followed the game of football closely, Jim Harbaugh coached teams that pride themselves on running the football and playing stingy defense which the Los Angeles Chargers have done quite well this season. I’m just happy everything isn’t on Justin Herbert’s plate which leads me to say don’t shoulder your Quarterback with so much responsibility. When Jim took the job, I was excited for Justin because, as Jim was a former quarterback himself, he was going to simplify the game for his quarterback now. I like the build of this Los Angeles team as they can dominate with the running game, they have serviceable receivers for Justin and the defense is a physical unit that’s become one of the best in the league today. Physicality travels during this time of the year and they could be a challenging team for anyone facing them in January. This Saturday afternoon, they will kick off the Wild Card round against the winners of the AFC South.
Texans: It’s another year and another division title for them. They truly came out of left field in 2023 with the struggles of the Jacksonville Jaguars and they took advantage and just kept winning games. This year, the expectations were higher for them than ever, especially with a young Quarterback who put together a memorable rookie season, a Head Coach who brought the energy back to a franchise that has struggled, and don’t forget the moves they made in acquiring Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills, signing both Joe Mixon and Danielle Hunter in free agency. They were being looked at as a contender in the AFC and some even said they could be the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference. They’ve been decimated by the injury bug and I’m not saying that to feel sorry for them as I know everyone around this time isn’t necessarily 100 percent healthy with this being such a grueling and physical sport. C.J. Stroud has lost two key weapons in Diggs and Tank Dell for the year. The Houston Texans are still a year or two away from being that elite contender in the league and too many times during the regular season, I saw inconsistent efforts such as dominating the Buffalo Bills at one point, then allowing them to climb back into the game. I knew Stroud wouldn’t be the Quarterback he was last year because there’d be more tape on him which is true, but his Offensive Line hasn’t done him any favors either. I can’t wait to see how they address those issues upfront in the off-season. They kick off Super Wild Card weekend on Saturday against the fifth-seeded Chargers at home.
Chargers X-Factor: Tuli Tuipulotu– He’s become a building block of this defense and in his second year, he leaped. The Chargers line Tuli up just about anywhere and he’s impactful, no matter where you put him. His ability to rush the passer is what stands out to me the most because he could have two guys doubling him and he will still find a way to get home to the Quarterback. It’s the effort mixed with the impact that makes him stand out and you can’t teach that, either you have it or you don’t. Tuli can also stop the run and make a tackle. The Texans must know where he is at all times on the field.
Texans X-Factor: Joe Mixon- He knows a thing or two about playoff games as he was a member of those Bengals teams that went to consecutive AFC Championship games. The Texans haven’t had that consistent of a ground game since Arian Foster and having a quality Running Back still pays off today. Joe is such an asset to this offense as he can run the ball and impact the game as a receiver as well. Give him a lane up front and he will do the rest. Joe is a speedy, yet hard runner and knows how to push himself into the other levels of the defense. The Texans need to get him going early and often for them to have a chance.
Final Thoughts: Jim Harbaugh kicks off the NFL postseason with his new team in the same place he won his first National Championship which is in Houston. L.A. ended their regular season winning their remaining three games and the Texans ended an up-and-down season with a win in Nashville against the Titans. C.J. Stroud had one of the best playoff debuts I’ve seen from a Quarterback ever last year when he experienced the NFL playoffs. In this game on Saturday, I expect the Houston defense to make life challenging for Justin Herbert and keep things relatively competitive as Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr will apply pressure on Justin. The Chargers are a one-man receiving show with Ladd McConkey which makes life easier for the Texans’ secondary. The Chargers will be in this game due to their running game and defense. Speaking of this L.A. defense, you never know what Jesse Minter is going to throw at you and they will make life difficult for Stroud and company. I like the Chargers here on the road.
Prediction: Chargers 23, Texans 16
