By Joe Messineo
On November 27th, the San Diego Chargers will take on the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. The Chargers will head into the game with a 4-6 record, which means that they desperately need a win to stay within shouting distance of either a division title or a wild card berth. What will be the keys to victory for San Diego this week?
Philip Rivers Needs to Clean Up the Mistakes
San Diego had a chance to put the Dolphins away several times in their November 13th meeting in California. However, quarterback Philip Rivers threw four interceptions against a defense that had been struggling to get turnovers. While the offensive line has had its issues, you can’t claim that he doesn’t have the weapons to put points on the board. It may be time to start looking to Hunter Henry in the passing game in addition to Antonio Gates.
Joey Bosa Should Have Fun Against Brock Osweiler
The Texans quarterback plays behind a shaky offensive line, has a relatively long throwing motion and has trouble seeing the field. On the other hand, Joey Bosa is a ridiculously strong and fast edge rusher who has made it his business to get to the quarterback in key situations. Bosa could overtake J.J Watt as the best defensive end in the AFC quickly if he continues to rack up almost a sack per game. With Watt’s NFL future unfortunately up-in-the-air, the Texans could consider addressing defensive end at the 2017 Draft.
The Short Week for Houston Helps the Chargers Immensely
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills went into Cincinnati and got a win after coming off their bye. Cincinnati had just come off of a short week, and it showed in the first quarter. If San Diego can take advantage of the fact that they are coming off their bye while Houston will be coming off a Monday night game in Mexico City, they could steal a win against a division leader.
This Could Be It for the Chargers in San Diego
On election night, the voters of San Diego rejected Measure C, which would have asked taxpayers to provide funding for a new stadium. Therefore, it looks like the team could be headed back to Los Angeles for the first time since 1960 unless a solution can be found between now and January. It means that they could be returning home to play out the string in a place that the Chargers have called home for 55 years.
On paper, this looks like a game that Houston should win at home. However, the Chargers aren’t nearly as bad as their 4-6 record suggests while the Texans don’t look nearly as good as their record indicates. With solid play from Philip Rivers and Joey Bosa, this could be a win for San Diego.
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