History created in bizarre scenes as Justin Herbert's career-worst display haunts Chargers
Updated . First published at
Eric Murray returned one of Justin Herbert's career-high four interceptions for a touchdown, C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown pass and the Houston Texans rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in a wildcard playoff game Sunday morning (AEDT).
It’s the second-straight year Stroud and the Texans (11-7) won in the first round after they beat Cleveland last season.
Herbert threw just three interceptions in the entire regular season and had never thrown more than two in a game before facing a Texans secondary led by All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, who had two interceptions.
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Los Angeles (11-7), who returned to the playoffs under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, lost in the wild-card round for a second-straight time after also losing in the 2022 season to remain without a postseason win since 2018.
Stroud threw for 282 yards with the TD pass to Nico Collins and an interception. Collins finished with seven catches for 122 yards. Joe Mixon ran for 106 yards and a score.
Herbert was 14 of 32 for 242 yards with a 40.9 passer rating for the game.
Salt was rubbed into the wounds late for the Chargers when D'Angelo Ross returned a blocked extra point for two points - the first such play in NFL post-season history.
The play came after Ladd McConkey scored on an 86-yard reception early in the fourth quarter, before Cameron Dicker's extra point attempt was blocked by Denico Autry.
The ball flew high in the air on the deflection and Dicker tried to knock it down, but it bounced off his hands. Ross grabbed it and returned it for the score that pushed Houston's lead to 25-12 and all-but sealed the result.
Cameron Dicker fails to convert an extra point. NFL
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was so upset about his team giving up the long TD that he wasn't even paying attention to the extra point try.
"I wasn't really looking until I heard the big thump and we got it," he said. "I just see [Ross] pick the ball up and he's coming towards me. I couldn't do anything but smile."
The league began awarding two points for an extra point returned to the end zone in 2015. Before that, a blocked extra point recovered by the defense was a dead ball.
It was the ninth extra point returned for a score since the rule change.
