Houston
Texans
3-4
43
FINAL
66
Los Angeles
Chargers
5-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-octane matchup, the Los Angeles Chargers triumphed over the Houston Texans with a final score of 66-43, solidifying their position in the postseason race as Week 9 of the 2026 season unfolds. The Chargers' explosive offense showcased its dominance, delivering a performance that will be hard to forget.
Philip Rivers led the charge for Los Angeles, throwing for an astounding 500 yards and a record-setting eight touchdown passes. His aerial assault opened up the game, while Ovie Mughelli contributed on the ground, albeit with only 27 rushing yards. On the other side, Andre Johnson stood out for Houston, putting up 203 receiving yards but ultimately unable to keep pace with the Chargers' offensive onslaught.
Defensively, the Chargers made key plays that shifted momentum in their favor, particularly with Eric Weddle's two interceptions, which stifled any chance of a Texans comeback. Shaun Phillips added a sack to disrupt Houston's passing game, while Reggie Nelson's six tackles highlighted the Texans' struggle to find consistent offensive rhythm. The turning point came in the second quarter when Weddle's first interception fueled a quick touchdown drive, giving the Chargers a lead they would not relinquish.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Rivers | QB | 44 | 32 | 73% | 500 | 8 | 1 | 140.1 |
| Matt Schaub | QB | 38 | 16 | 42% | 436 | 5 | 5 | 84.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ovie Mughelli | HB | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Ben Tate | HB | 7 | 16 | 2.3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Curtis Brinkley | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Graham | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Santonio Holmes | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Johnson | WR | 7 | 203 | 29.0 | 13 | 3 | 54 | 0 |
| Antonio Gates | TE | 15 | 172 | 11.5 | 67 | 3 | 39 | 0 |
| Ovie Mughelli | HB | 7 | 103 | 14.7 | 70 | 2 | 30 | 0 |
| Santonio Holmes | WR | 3 | 99 | 33.0 | 14 | 0 | 46 | 1 |
| Vincent Jackson | WR | 3 | 91 | 30.3 | 12 | 2 | 37 | 0 |
| Derrick Mason | WR | 1 | 60 | 60.0 | 20 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| Patrick Crayton | WR | 2 | 60 | 30.0 | 18 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
| Owen Daniels | TE | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 24 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Randy McMichael | TE | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Malcom Floyd | WR | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Garrett Graham | TE | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Richard Goodman | WR | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Lawrence Vickers | FB | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Weddle | FS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Brian Cushing | SAM | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bob Sanders | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Reggie Nelson | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jason Allen | CB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Gilchrist | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stephen Cooper | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Glover Quin | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Quentin Jammer | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shaun Phillips | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Smith | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMeco Ryans | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Garay | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Steve Gregory | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luis Castillo | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Nolan | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnathan Joseph | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Takeo Spikes | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Cason | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Harris | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Scifres | P | 1 | 1 | 9 | 38 |
| Brett Hartmann | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neil Rackers | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 23 |

