Stroud Throws 5 TDs as Texans Rout Chargers 44-22

C.J. Stroud waited all season for a game like this. With Houston up 10-9 late in the second quarter at SoFi Stadium, he dropped a deep ball to Tank Dell down the right sideline for a 63-yard touchdown, and the rout was on. Stroud threw five touchdown passes and the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers 44-22, the Associated Press reported, sending a winless team to its eighth straight loss in front of booing fans.

For Houston, the 0-4 start is fading fast. The Texans are 3-5 and have won three of their last four, with the Browns, Colts and Ravens up next. The Chargers are 0-8, the worst start in franchise history.

A Career Day in His Hometown

Stroud, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, completed 21 of 35 passes for a season-high 384 yards. His five touchdowns tied his career high, and they went to four different receivers: Xavier Hutchinson from 17 yards on the opening drive, Dell from 63, Kayshon Boutte from 12 just before halftime, Nico Collins from 13 in the third quarter and Boutte again from 63 early in the fourth. That last one made it 38-9 with 14:12 to play.

It was not flawless. His one interception came on a ball batted at the line, and he missed a couple of open throws in the first half. After that, Houston piled up a season-best 485 yards.

Dell and Boutte Made It Look Easy

Boutte had the best game of his Texans career with four catches for 125 yards and two scores. Dell caught four passes for 105 yards in only his second game back after nearly two years of recovery from a serious knee injury, and the 63-yarder was his first touchdown since December 2024. Woody Marks handled the ground work with 18 carries for 70 yards.

Herbert Never Had a Chance

Houston sacked Justin Herbert eight times, with Will Anderson Jr., Sheldon Rankins and Jadeveon Clowney getting two apiece. Herbert went 13 of 23 for 193 yards and has been sacked 31 times this season. He hurt the middle finger on his non-throwing hand in the fourth quarter, then threw a 58-yard touchdown to Quentin Johnston, the Chargers’ first touchdown since an Oct. 11 loss to Denver. Los Angeles played without Ladd McConkey, who had back spasms in warmups.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on C.J. Stroud passing yards at Cleveland. Houston let him push the ball downfield all afternoon, with six completions of 20 or more yards. Boutte is the receiver to back if the Browns roll coverage toward Collins, since he turned four catches into 125 yards here.

The Texans look like a team again. A trip to Cleveland will show whether Stroud can do it against a defense that is not falling apart.