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January 9, 2025 • 13 mins
The Texans will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday for the opening game of NFL Wild Card weekend. The Chargers are coming into Houston with a three-game winning streak, looking to take down the AFC South Champions, while the Texans are 1-2 in their past three games. The last time the two teams met was in 2022, with the Chargers earning a 34-24 win. Both franchises have undergone major personnel changes, and this will be Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud's first meeting against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has brought the Chargers back to the playoffs in his first year with the team following a national championship victory with the Michigan Wolverines. "The culture that Jim Harbaugh has established has brought life to this fan base," Chris Hayre, sports anchor and reporter for KCAL News in Los Angeles, said. Herbert has performed well under a new offense with different weapons, recording 23 touchdowns and only three interceptions so far this season. However, if the Chargers want to advance to the divisional round over Houston, the key to the game will be the pass rush against a struggling Texans offensive line. "Can the Chargers get after Stroud?"
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're going to spend a few minutes with the Chris Hayry,

(00:02):
who is a sports anchor and reporter for ky CAL
nine in Los Angeles. He also hosts a weekly Chargers podcast,
and unfortunately, we're going to probably spend a little bit
of time talking about life's events as compared to the
Chargers Texans game with Chris.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Chris is Matt, thank you for joining us.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
First of all, and again I hate to paint with
a broad brush on this, but you have been working
with a TV station and a group there that have
been doing NonStop cover to this. How has this been
for your colleagues, how's it been as a citizen of
southern California with all the fires? And please tell us
what areas are safe, what or not? And what is
your current situation if you don't mind.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, man, I appreciate you having me on. It's you know,
I think the best word is just surreal. It's just
a surreal scene out here. Kids say enough about not
only my colleagues, but everybody out here just in the
field and reporting, and people don't know if they have homes.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
I mean, the.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Pacific Palisades in Malibu is destroyed, Altadena parts of Pasadena destroyed.
There's a fire in the Hollywood Hills last night. I mean,
it's pretty devastating.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
I've lived out here for eighteen years.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
I've never seen anything like it, and you know, wildfires
all the time out here in California, but this one,
it's just it's a different beast right now. There are
you know, me and my family are safe. We live
about twenty to twenty five miles from the Altadena fire.
And you can just see the cloud of smoke in
the sky right now, and it's just just amazing. You're

(01:34):
twenty miles away, and you know, you go to that scene,
it looks, frankly like a war scene, a war zone.
It's just it's devastating, and you know, our hearts are
with everybody that's affected right now.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Part of my ignorance on this, but I'm assuming that
people that live in those areas, in this area we're.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Speaking of is growing by the day.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
People are grabbing what they can, can't be much, getting
in their cars and getting out.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
I mean, how are roads, how are.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
People able to circumvent leaving neighborhoods that are you know,
on the on the precipice of these fires.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Destroying their homes.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Well, you know, I think fortunately a lot of people
did get out when they were supposed to get out
when when the evacuation warnings came. I do think people
got out.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
But you're right.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
I mean, it's you know, like the Hollywood Hills. Just
imagine trying to get out of there last night, just
the gridlock on the road because there's not many ways
in and out, so the roads obviously were we're gridlock
last night. And you know, it's you just hope that
this this thing gets contained, and you know, I know
that the winds have let up a little bit, and

(02:43):
the hope is that we get some good news over
the next couple of days. And again, I just you know,
I was being this week just so excited to talk football,
and obviously we're going to talk football here in a
minute and get raided for this wild card game. But
I'll say you it's the last couple of days puts
a lot in perspective for people.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Last question about this, uh is Metro Los Angeles of
ultimate concern And I know, again this has been mostly
to the coast, but it's going a little bit more
in the inland. Some of the valley areas and obviously
mentioned Pasadena. I heard Chevez Ravine was in conversation a
couple of days back. How about the inter city downtown
Dodgers Stadium, you know, Beverly Hills. Are those areas of

(03:25):
ultimate concern for the folks there?

Speaker 3 (03:28):
You know what, It's a good question, and I'll be honest,
I don't even know as of this morning. I saw
a little bit of our coverage about an hour and
a half ago, and I haven't heard anything about downtown.
You know, the Palisades in Malibu, if you know, if
you've ever been to Los Angeles, it's very close to
Santa Monica. There's some some just wild images of the
fire behind the Santa Monica Pier that I saw this

(03:49):
morning online somebody somebody had a picture from yesterday. It's
just like it's just I don't know, and there's.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Really no words for it.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
But I don't know what the status is is of
downtown LA at this point. Chavez Ravine, as you mentioned,
and I do know that there's a Monday night football
game that's supposed to be played at so Pike Stadium,
and you know, the continguency plan is is Arizona for
that and you know, I think it's they're fortunate that
the game's Monday and not let's say Saturday, like the
Texans and Chargers, because I don't know if you could

(04:19):
play that game.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, Chris hayry K Cal Sports in Los Angeles joining
us here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
So let's get to some football. Now.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
You cover the Chargers, you have a podcast, but you
have to balance it with the other professional sports teams.
Have the Chargers been able to make inroads with Southern
California sports fans because it feels like to me, and
maybe it's a generic narrative that Charger games are largely full,
but they're full of fans of other cities.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
You know, it's a good question. I do think that
they have made tremendous inroads since they moved here in
twenty seventeen to present day. And the thing is, you
could say the same exact thing about the Rams that
people do about the Chargers nationally, Like when there's a
San Francisco forty nine Ers Rams game, where you know,

(05:10):
a Vikings Rams game, there's gonna be a ton of
opposing fans. It's just I think that's part of Los
Angeles is that, Hey, you know when the schedule comes
out in April and may you circle LA is a
potential road game for you and your buddies or you
and your family. But I'll say this, since Jim Harball

(05:31):
was announced as head coach of the Chargers on February
first of last year, the last eleven months, I've seen
probably the biggest shift in terms of fans buy in.
You have a you have a franchise quarterback, and you
have a head coach coming off a national championship, a
team that won five games last year, that that won

(05:52):
eleven this year. And the culture that Jim Harball has
established has really, I think brought some life to this
fan base. And you know, going back to the fans
in San Diego, Jim Harball was a San Diego Charger,
so I think you're seeing a lot of fans from
San Diego and Los Angeles come together. The fan base

(06:15):
is energized, and you know, I worked at the Lakers
for nine years, so I always tell people this, like
the Dodgers and Lakers they're the show in LA, but
everybody else can have a piece of pie if you win.
And right now, I think the Chargers have that upwards
trajectory of potentially having some sustained success over the next
few years with Herbert and Harball and Tone.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Now Herbert's number is first.

Speaker 1 (06:40):
I want to say the quarter pole the season were
probably down from years past. It was that Harball trying
to establish a running game, a little more of a balance.
And overall from start a season to where Justin comes
into today's or Saturday's game, where has his development been
as a quarterback with Harball running things.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
Well, it's been remarkable and I think you're right. I
think at the beginning of the year it was a
product of Hey, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Expo are
out the door, I have a bunch of new weapons,
a brand new offense. And then, by the way, in
Week two, he had a terrible high ankle sprain that
took him out of that game in Pittsburgh in the
second half and basically was playing on one one leg

(07:20):
against Kansas City the following week before the bye week.
So the one thing is, I'm sure you guys have
discussed this week that Justin's just so good at is
taking care of the football. You know, I think only
had three interceptions this year, and he's just he's built
chemistry with these receivers who, you know, I don't think
a lot of people had high hopes for this receiving

(07:41):
corps coming into the year, and then you see what
rookie led macaukey has done, and just a chemistry that
Justin has developed with him. Quentin Johnston, who a lot
of people were down on after his rookie year, coming
off a thirteen catch, one hundred and eighty six yard
performance against the Raiders. You know, Joshua Palmer, who's hurt
at the moment, but Darius Davis, the emergence of JK. Dobbins,

(08:02):
who's you know, comeback Player of the Year nominee for sure.
So just a lot of different weapons that Justin has
seemed to find week in a week out. You don't
know whose week it's gonna be. It could be a
Lad mcconukeey week, could be a Quintin Johnson week, could
be a Wolf Disley week. I mean, it's it's just
been remarkable how Justin has been able to trust and
spread the ball around to a bunch of different guys

(08:24):
that at the beginning of the year you weren't sure
who it was going to be and now Yeah, I
just think the comfortability with his receivers and just having
that that full year in Greg Rovan's offense has really
done wonders for him.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
All Right, lastly, we'll let you run.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
Actually, I'll probably get two things in the since offensive
line has been at venturesome would be maybe the most
polite way of saying things. Tell me about oe Bosa
this year is compared the last couple of years. Denzel
Perriman obviously is starting to practice again. Uh is there
enough pass rush from the Charger seven that's going to

(09:01):
cause the Textans some issues on Saturday?

Speaker 3 (09:04):
Well? I think that's that's the key to the game,
that is the how much pressure can the Chargers. I
look at Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Tully Toy Polo too.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
And Bud Dupree.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Those are four starting caliber edge rushers that the Chargers
keep presh throughout the course of a four quarter game.
You mentioned Denzel Perriman, You know they they certainly have
missed Nzel and you guys know him as well as anybody,
just his his hard hitting nature, his ability to stop
the run. But it's really gonna come down to can

(09:40):
can Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack be superstars on Saturday?
And Tully too, Polo to second year guy from USC
who's just been a fantastic player, uh since he stepped
onto the football field with the Chargers. And then that
veteran presidence of Bud Dupree. Uh, can the Chargers get
after Stroud make him uncomfortable against that offensive line? And

(10:02):
you know, I know that Joey has had some injuries
throughout the last several years, but I do think that
he's come on, especially the back half of the year.
And you know, Khalil has had some pretty dominant games.
But I think just keeping those guys fresh, that's been
kind of their their go to. And then Darwin James
up front. You know Derwin James's five sacks this year,

(10:24):
him playing close to the line of scrimmage, that's presented
problems for teams throughout the season.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
All right.

Speaker 1 (10:32):
Lastly, and we always don't mean to put you on
the spot when it comes to predictions, but the folks
in Vegas have the Chargers about a field goal favorite
Rex Ryan thinks that won't not even count.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
This is a bye week for the Chargers. Clearly, I
don't believe the Chargers.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
Think that, but what you have seen and look, one
of my best friends in my life is a lifelong
Charger fan, and he says, Matt, they always invent ways
to lose games when you think they're ahead for ninety
percent of them. So, with all that being said, and
again it's a new and obviously hardball's really changed the
feeling of what it is to be a Los Angeles

(11:06):
Charger fan and a team that follows him. What's your
gut feeling right now, and I'm holding you to it completely,
but your gut about what's going to happen on Saturday
and how things will play.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
Out, Well, let me just say, nobody thinks what Rex
Ryan thinks here. That's just not the case. And Texas
are a very good football team. I think that the
Chargers wanted the five seed because, hey, you don't want
to go to Baltimore in January. It's it's breething, you know,
and be you know, if if you're the five seeds,

(11:34):
who knows if you get a divisional playoff game, depending
on how it shakes out in the second round. I
think that the Chargers right now are playing their best
football of this season, right that the second half that
Denver game on Thursday night to present days when they've
really hit their stride. All three phases have played really,
really well. This is not going to be an easy
game by any stretch for the Chargers. I think if

(11:56):
they can kind of withstand the momentum, the early momentum
of the crowd, and maybe get off to a fast start,
I think the Chargers have a good chance to win
this game. So I would give the slight edge to
the Chargers. But I do think that sometimes we look
at one game of the Houston Texans season on Christmas
Day and think that that's what happened all year, and
this is not the case. You know, thirty one to

(12:18):
two didn't happen, you know at the beginning of the
year where you almost beat the Lions, and you had
some some dominant games against other teams. So I give
the slightest to the Charges just because of the coach
and the quarterback. I know Demico and c. J. Stroud
are some of the brightest young stars in the coaching
ranks and quarterbacks, but I think justin right now, the
way he's playing and just having Jim Harball going back

(12:41):
to the to the scene where he won his national
championship exactly a year ago. Just the slightest of edges
of the Chargers.

Speaker 1 (12:48):
All right, we'll leave it at that, Chris, Our thoughts
are with you, your viewers entire Southern California, as I was
telling the audience last hour, and there's no part of
the country that doesn't have to go through thing, whether
it's hurricanes or blizzards, or earthquakes or mudslides or tornadoes.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
We just can't.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
We have these elements sometimes getting the way of our
normal lives, and so please be safe to you and
your family in the citizens Southern California. Thank you for
your analysis, and we really appreciate your time on the show.

Speaker 3 (13:15):
Today, say man anytime. Appreciate you. Guys getting on a
plane here soon, so we'll see it in a bit.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
Sounds good.

Speaker 1 (13:21):
Chris Hayry joining us from Cake Hel Sports in Los
Angeles on the Chargers beat.
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