C.J. Stroud’s TD pass to Nico Collins, Eric Murray’s pick-six have Texans soaring

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans‘ offense finally woke up as quarterback C.J. Stroud hit wideout Nico Collins for a touchdown to put them up 7-6 over the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter Saturday in the wild-card opener of the playoffs.

YEAHHHHH 1️⃣2️⃣ 🙌

📺: @Nickelodeon and @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/xC0kXz1OKi

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 11, 2025

The Texans’ offense was dormant through the majority of the first half with Stroud throwing an interception and wideout John Metchie III losing a fumble. But with 6:15 remaining in the half, Stroud capped a 99-yard drive with the 13-yard touchdown.

It was the first touchdown of the afternoon from either team.

Stroud had two big plays on the drive, with one coming when he recovered a fumbled snap before rolling right and airing a dart to wideout Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard reception. Stroud also had a 34-yard pass to Collins that helped get the offense in the red zone before they finished it off in the end zone.

Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was able to extend the lead to 10-6 with a 41-yard field goal right before the half ended.