I don't know that I can remember a week of preparation quite like this one for the LA Chargers on Sunday, but it's time to rock on. Let's go!! Here's my By The Numbers/Daily Brew for this matchup with the 8-6 Chargers.
2 - This game will feature two starting quarterbacks that spent their formative years in the Pac-12. Justin Herbert played and starred at Oregon, While Texans rookie QB Davis Mills led the Stanford Cardinals. Although they were both starters in 2019, Mills missed that matchup with Oregon, so this will be their first meeting.
2 - Texans TE Jordan Akins had two touchdowns in the last meeting against the Chargers in 2019. In that 27-20 win, Akins had three catches (two of which went for TD) for 73 yards, including the go-ahead tuddy and the game-clinching touchdown in the second half.
6 - The Chargers had six players voted to the 2022 Pro Bowl, including DE Joey Bosa, S Derwin James, QB Justin Herbert, OT Rashawn Slater, WR Keenan Allen and C Corey Linsley.
2 - Two of those Pro Bowlers will more than likely miss the game on Sunday - Bosa and Linsley, both of whom were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List this week.
3 - Last week, the Texans had three sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Each of the three sacks came from a player that hadn't taken a defensive snap against Jacksonville in Week 1 - Garret Wallow, Derek Rivers and Chris Smith.
20 - Texans LB Neville Hewitt and Garret Wallow combined for 20 tackles in the win over Jacksonville in the very first game they'd started together.
98/2032/17 - Texans WR Brandin Cooks has played the Jacksonville Jaguars four times as a Texan. If those numbers were projected over a 17-game schedule, Cooks would put up MVP-like numbers - 98 receptions, 2,032 yards and 17 TD. Just ridiculous what he's doing when he faces Jacksonville. Sadly, Cooks was put on the Reserve/COVID-19 List this week and more than likely will be unavailable when the team plays the Chargers.
4,454 - That's the number of days between Texans kickoff returns for a touchdown. On October 4, 2009, Jacoby Jones took a kickoff return to the house against the artist formerly known as the Oakland Raiders. There were none until last Sunday. 4,454 days later, Tremon Smith, AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, took one 98 yards for a tuddy against Jacksonville.
8 - Smith's return was the 8th kickoff return touchdown in the history of the Texans and the first one in 12 years.
5 - The last time there was a kickoff return for a touchdown in a game involving the Texans was in the 2016 Divisional Playoff game, nearly five years ago, at New England when Patriots star Dion Lewis took one to the house against Houston.
1 - Texans QB Davis Mills got his first win as a starting quarterback in Jacksonville on Sunday. Hopefully, it'll be one of many and his second one can come this weekend.
That's going to do it, everyone. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Watch the Houston Texans take on the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday at noon. Click here for tickets.
