INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) CJ Stroud had been feeling sick all week, barely practiced and woke up with chills on game day. Then he had his version of Michael Jordan’s flu game. Stroud threw five touchdown passes, including a pair of season-high 63-yard passes to Tank Dell and Kayshon Boutte, and the Houston Texans defeated the winless Los Angeles Chargers 44-22 on Sunday. “I don’t know what I had, but I didn’t feel good,” Stroud said. “My teammates really helped me. Just to have that kind of performance a little bit under the weather was a testament to me to our team and our resilience.” Throwing to four different receivers, Stroud fell one touchdown short of the franchise record of six touchdowns. He smiled at the comparison to Jordan, who overcame flu-like symptoms and scored 38 points for the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. “I’m not there yet,” he said, “but maybe one day.” Stroud completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards with one interception and one sack. “I beat myself up a lot when I don’t do very well, so I’m going to enjoy this,” he said, looking forward to gathering with friends and family after the game not far from his hometown of Rancho Cucamonga. Houston (3-5) has won three of four after starting the season 0-4. “I’m proud of our guys for representing our style of play again,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “CJ has brought elite execution and playmaking ability. He really brings that confidence to the entire team.” The Chargers (0-8) ended a 37-drive touchdown drought, the second-longest in NFL history, when Quentin Johnston caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert in the fourth quarter. It was his first touchdown since Oct. 11 against Denver. Their 22 points were the second most they have scored in a game this season. “That was positive,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. Shortly afterward, Herbert wore a large white glove on his left hand to protect a finger bandaged by the trainers. “It shouldn’t be a problem,” he said later. He was replaced by DJ Uiagalelei, who threw his first career touchdown pass, a 15-yard pass to Derius Davis, his first scoring catch since December 2024. The Chargers had scored 24 points on field goals during their touchdown drought. Cameron Dicker scored three, including a season-best 52-yarder, on Sunday. Herbert finished 13 of 23 for 193 yards and one interception and was sacked a career-high eight times. He has been sacked 31 times this season, second most in the league. “I could have done a better job getting the ball out quicker,” Herbert said. “I mean, they’re really good. They have a great pass rush and I’ve got to do a better job getting the ball out.” Boos cascaded from the upper levels of SoFi Stadium, where the Bolts haven’t won since last December. Los Angeles, which lost its final three games last season, tied a franchise record with an 11-game losing streak, set in 2000. “We’re going to have to figure it out and keep looking and do our best to keep getting better because it hasn’t been good enough yet,” Herbert said. mask the penalty outside the play. Stroud was intercepted for the second time this season by Daiyan Henley in the first quarter. On their next possession, the Bolts trailed 10-9 on Dicker’s 43-yard field goal. But the Texans responded immediately, with Dell scoring his first touchdown since a devastating knee injury in 2024 to cap a two-play, 43-second drive and extend the lead to 17-9. Houston moved up from No. 5 status by a half-point just before halftime, when Boutte caught his first touchdown of the season, a 12-yard pass from Stroud that capped a seven-play, 76-yard, 34-second drive and made the score 24-9. Boutte’s second touchdown reception, a 63-yard pass from Stroud, came in the fourth. Embattled Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel moved from the field to the booth to call plays for the first time this season. Texans: CB Derek Stingley Jr. injured late in the game. Chargers: CB Isas Waxter (ankle) was injured in the first quarter and did not return. … DL Justin Eboigbe (ankle) was injured in the first quarter, but returned. … WR Ladd McConkey was active, but had back spasms before kickoff and did not play. Texans: visit Cleveland next Sunday. Chargers: Visit Baltimore in a matchup against former Bolts defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. —Watch AP’s complete NFL coverage here Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
