Chargers score after 37 drive drought but fall to 0-8 in Houston

The Los Angeles Chargers finished a 37-drive touchdown drought on Sunday, but the scoreline still reflects a team in deep trouble. The Chargers lost 44-22 to the Houston Texans in Inglewood, California, to drop to 0-8 on the season.

The scoring drought lasted from October 11 until the fourth quarter of Sunday's game. That span included 12 consecutive quarters and 37 offensive drives without a score. The 37-drive streak is the longest in the NFL since the 2024 Miami Dolphins went 30 drives without a touchdown. The all-time record remains 61 drives, set by the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

Justin Herbert threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston in the fourth quarter to break the streak. The Chargers were trailing 38-9 when they scored that first touchdown. Backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei added a 15-yard touchdown pass to Derius Davis late in the fourth quarter. It marked the first time this season the Chargers recorded multiple passing touchdowns in a single game.

Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel moved from the sideline to the booth to call plays. McDaniel was the head coach of the 2024 Dolphins team that set the recent record for consecutive drives without a touchdown. The change did not appear to change the outcome. Herbert completed 13 of 23 passes for 193 yards. He threw his 11th interception of the season, an NFL lead, and was sacked a career-high eight times.

The Chargers converted on only 5 of 17 third-down attempts. They had 13 plays that resulted in negative yardage. Left tackle Joe Alt said the team wants to win, not just score. “We want to win football games, so of course putting the ball in the end zone is always awesome,” Alt said. “But you know, we want to win football games. So whatever that’s going to entail, if that entails score more points than we did, then we’re not happy.”

Tight end Charlie Kolar expressed frustration with the unit's performance. “I take a lot of pride in my craft, and to be part of an offense that’s struggling so mightily, it hurts the soul,” Kolar said. “It certainly does.”

Head coach Jim Harbaugh said the team was outplayed on third down. “We weren’t as good on third down as the Texans were defensively,” Harbaugh said. “Weren’t as good as the Texans were offensively on third down. That was another part of the game that we just we got beat.”

The offense missed several open targets before the fourth-quarter breakthrough. Tre Harris dropped a 30-yard completion on the opening drive. Herbert underthrew Harris and overthrew Johnston in the end zone during the second quarter. He threw behind KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a play just before halftime. Keaton Mitchell fumbled the ball away at the Texans 24-yard line in the third quarter.

The loss extends the Chargers' losing streak to 11 games, including two from last season. It is the franchise's longest losing streak since they started 0-11 in 2000. The team travels to Baltimore, which is 4-5, next week before hosting the New York Jets, 2-7, at home. Herbert played with a large white glove on his left hand to protect a taped finger.

Harbaugh said the team will continue to work. “Giving up or giving in, no, that’s not in our vocabulary,” Harbaugh said. “That’s not in our culture.”