Just like that, the Houston Texans are back in the conversation for postseason chatter.

In his return back to Los Angeles, C.J. Stroud threw for a season-high 384 yards and tied his career high in touchdown passes with five as the Texans rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers in a 44-22 victory at SoFi Stadium. Despite a slow offensive start, Houston found a rhythm in the second quarter and never looked back.

Stroud, who wanted to see an uptick in consistency after Week 7's overtime loss to the New York Giants, threw an early pick on a pass that was batted at the line of scrimmage. He missed Nico Collins on a third-down conversion and overthrew Marvin Harrison Jr. in the second quarter.

Outside of that, the former No. 2 overall pick looked like the quarterback that was promised back when drafted out of Ohio State in 2023. He connected with four different receivers, including twice with Kayshon Boutte for touchdown passes. Six passes went for gains of over 20-plus yards and were recorded as explosives.

The Texans punted with less than two minutes in the second quarter. Kai Kroeger would only take the field one more time for the rest of the afternoon.

For as good as Stroud was, the Texans' defense delivered a much-needed, jolt-worthy performance while attacking Justin Herbert. The Chargers' quarterback, who entered Sunday as the second-most-hit passer through eight weeks, took over at No. 1 as Houston's defense recorded a season-high eight sacks, including two each by Sheldon Rankins and Jadeveon Clowney.

Entering the third quarter, Los Angeles tried to get something moving in the passing game, but an interception by Derek Stingley Jr. stopped a chance for a scoring drive. On the flip side, Stroud found Nico Collins, who made an impressive one-handed catch for a 13-yard touchdown grab, only extending Houston's lead by 26.

But perhaps the best moment of the day came with Tank Dell's arrival back on the field. After missing nearly two seasons with a severe leg injury suffered in 2024, Dell didn't seem to miss a beat, hauling in four passes for 105 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

Below is a breakdown of the playing time from Sunday's win, including some separation at wide receiver, running back, tight end and a deeper rotation at linebacker.

Offense

Before the bye week, Dell was on a snap count. He was only expected to have about 12-16 snaps per contest. On Sunday, he recorded 33 snaps, which correlates to roughly 47% of all plays. Even if the ball wasn't going to him, he still showed that the knee could hold up in coverage.

New wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was limited in his receptions, but it's become clear that the Texans plan on giving him a chance to prove his potential and a future No. 2 weapon opposite Nico Collins and Dell. He recorded 32 snaps, so roughly, he was out there for 46% of all plays.

As for the offensive line, no changes whatsoever, though Blake Fisher only saw action in the jumbo package of 7 snaps, a massive decrease from what fans have come to expect in the past. Among the running backs, Woody Marks, who led the team in rushing, finished with 46 snaps, while Dare Ogunbowale played in just 11 snaps, the second-fewest of any offensive player.

Case in point, Houston needs another running back to take the toll off Marks.

Defense

Perhaps the biggest change from last week's defensive outlook was the return of Jalen Pitre in the nickel. Not only did he record six tackles, including two for loss, but the do-it-all defensive back played in 96% of snaps. Rookie Kayden McDonald continued to see an uptick in his snap counts, totaling 24 snaps for a 33% ratio.

Regardless of health, Jadeveon Clowney is still playing more than just depth pieces. He finished with 24 snaps, which came out to be roughly 33% of the snaps. Both Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter only played in 44 snaps, but Anderson finished with a sack and two tackles for loss. Hunter, who has been quieter than usual this season, only recorded two tackles.