CJ Stroud hits Nico Collins for the first touchdown of the playoffs
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CJ Stroud hits Nico Collins for the first touchdown of the playoffs

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

  • DJ Bien-Aime, ESPNJanuary 11, 2025, 6:20 p.m. ET

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      DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He is a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show “Talkin’ Texans.”

HOUSTON – The Texans’ offense finally woke up when quarterback CJ Stroud hit wideout Nico Collins for a touchdown, giving the team a 7-6 lead over the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter on Saturday in the wild-card opener of the playoffs.

The Texans’ offense sat idle for most of the first half, with Stroud throwing an interception and wideout John Metchie III losing a fumble. But with 6:15 left in the half, Stroud capped a 99-yard drive with the 13-yard touchdown.

It was the first touchdown of the afternoon for both teams.

Stroud had two big plays on the drive, one of which came when he caught a fumbled snap before rolling right and firing a dart to Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard reception. Stroud also had a 34-yard pass to Collins that helped move the offense into the red zone before finishing in the end zone.

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

Fairbairn scored another field goal in the third quarter before the Texans’ defense decided to get involved as safety Eric Murray intercepted Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and returned the ball 38 yards to give the Texans a 20-6 lead. This was the fourth defensive touchdown for Houston this season, including the playoffs, tying the Seattle Seahawks for the second-most touchdown in the NFL.

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