Can the Chargers keep their offensive momentum going against the Texans?

How good were the Chargers against the Cowboys?Can they replicate this product?

LOS ANGELES — As Omarion Hampton waltzed into the endzone in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers' 34-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, it was a disappointing turn for one of the Chargers' most impressive wins of the season.

The Cowboys have nothing to play for.(Eliminated from the playoffs the day before), but attacking the Chargers' strong defense early on, Los Angeles initially had no answer for wide receiver George Pickens.Because the Cowboys scored 17 points in the first half and moved the ball smoothly.

But the Chargers' defense tightened the screws after halftime.Meanwhile, the offense continued to take advantage of one of the league's worst defenses to lead L.A. to its second-highest scoring total of the season.

The win was the seventh of the last eight games for the Chargers.It's a surge that has crystallized the identity of this team, backed by a stout turnover-inducing defense and a quarterback Justin Herbert who is good enough to carry an offense with the worst offensive line in the league.

Still, even at 11-4 with a chance to win the AFC West if they win out, they aren't widely viewed as Super Bowl contenders.They are tied with the Chicago Bears for the 11th-best odds to win the Super Bowl (+1,900), according to DraftKings Sportsbook, despite having more wins than many of the teams ahead of them.That skepticism stems from the franchise's historical ability to shine but crumble in the biggest moments.

The Chargers won't have a chance to properly fix the narrative until after the season.However, Saturday's game against the Houston Texans (4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network) offers a double chance.A win would mark redemption and confirm that these Jim Harbaugh-coached Chargers are ready to move on from the familiar heartbreak of this series.

"This team never quits. It doesn't matter. They don't flinch. They don't quit," Harbaugh said. "No matter what happens. You can get hit right in the nose, you see some trouble, and this team just keeps moving forward."

The Chargers' season culminated in Houston last season.L.A. was riding a three-game winning streak but was crushed by a wild-card loss that marked the worst game of Herbert's career.

He completed 14 of 32 Pas (43.8%), the worst completion percentage in a replay game by a Chargers Quarterly Since Philip Rivers in 2006 and tied for the third worst in the franchise history (at least 20 attempts).Herbert threw three low-league interceptions during the usual season, but got four against the Texans, making him the first player in NFL history to get more options to throw in a playoff game as in the normal season (minimum of 200 attempts).

The loss dropped Herbert to 0-2 in his playoff career.Its first loss came against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2023 postseason. The Chargers led 27-0 at halftime and lost 31-30, one of the most embarrassing collapses in NFL history.

His playoff performances have made Herbert an enigma;his highs rival those of the league's best defenders, but his lows have come on even bigger stages.

“I let the team down,” he said after the loss to Houston."...I just have to be better."

Houston's defense has only gotten better this season, allowing the lowest points (16.6), yards (272.3) and QBR (48.4) in the league.The Chargers' offensive line, meanwhile, has gotten much worse.

After finishing 11th in passer rating last season, the Chargers were dead last season.Pressure defeated Herbert in Houston a year ago, and the challenge will be even on Saturday.

In last year's game, the Chargers had what they considered to be the league's best tactical matches in Joe Alt (ankle) and Rashawn Slater (knee), but both were ruled out due to injury at the end of the season.Their successors Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer are both recovering from injuries on Saturday.Pipkins has not played since Week 14 while recovering from an ankle injury and Salyer left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury.

Herbert suffered a broken hand in Week 13. He was forced 252 times, more than any quarterback in the NFL, but he's also one of the best at avoiding sacks.The victory on Sunday is the latest example of this.It was the first game of 2025 that he wasn't sacked, a statement he deserves credit for on the offensive line.

According to Research, he had two interceptions on plays where Cowboys defenders recorded a pass rush impact (a hit in 2.5 seconds).He leads the NFL in total QBR (81), passing yards (1,135) and passing touchdowns (one) on such plays.

"He's definitely MVP-caliber," Harbaugh said.“So every game he does something that only the best to ever play in that game do.”

The Chargers fall into cliché when asked about the importance of a game like this against Houston."That's the most important thing because it's the next game," Harbaugh said.However, Saturday's game has added significance, not just for a playoff berth, but for rewriting the history that has followed this team.

"Coach Harbaugh said we're at a point and I think that's all you can ask for," Herbert said."Where we play meaningful football in December and a lot of teams don't... We've got a good opponent coming to town next week, so we've got to be on top of our game."