C.J. Stroud threw five touchdown passes — including a pair of season-best 63-yarders to Tank Dell and Kayshon Boutte — as the Houston Texans routed the winless Los Angeles Chargers 44-22 at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, in a performance that evoked memories of Michael Jordan’s famous flu game.
Stroud had been feeling lousy all week, barely practised and woke up with chills on game day, according to the Associated Press via Raw Chili and La Vie Zine. Then he completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards with one interception, and the Texans won their third game in four after starting the season 0-4.
It was a stunning individual performance from a quarterback who was barely fit to play — and a devastating afternoon for a Chargers side who remain the league’s only winless team.
A flu game for the ages
Stroud’s performance drew immediate comparisons to Jordan’s flu game, and the numbers backed it up. Five touchdown passes, 384 yards, and two 63-yard scoring strikes — to Dell, scoring his first touchdown since a devastating knee injury in 2024, and to Boutte, catching his first touchdown of the season.
The Texans scored on their opening drive, with Stroud hitting Xavier Hutchinson for a 17-yard score, and never looked back. By half-time, Houston led 24-9, and the second half was a procession.
For the Chargers, the defeat is another chapter in a miserable season. At 0-8, they are the league’s only winless team, and their 37-drive touchdown drought — the second-longest in NFL history — was finally ended when Quentin Johnston caught Justin Herbert’s 58-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter. Boos cascaded down from the upper levels of SoFi Stadium, where the Chargers have not won since last December.
The AFC picture
Houston’s win takes them to 3-5, and their form — three wins in four after an 0-4 start — suggests they are turning their season around. The Texans visit Cleveland next Sunday, while the Chargers visit Baltimore in a matchup against former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
For Los Angeles, the season is effectively over. At 0-8, with a fanbase turning on the team and a head coach under pressure, the Chargers face a long final two months — and hard questions about their future.
What comes next
Stroud’s flu game will be remembered as one of the performances of the season, and the Texans will hope it is the start of a run that takes them back into the playoff race. The Chargers, meanwhile, must find a win from somewhere — and quickly, before the season becomes a historic embarrassment.
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