Two Playoffs, Zero Wins

The Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers will collide on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS in a matchup defined by sudden collapse. Both franchises appeared in last year's playoffs, yet they now sit on the bottom of the standings. Houston trails at 2-5 while Los Angeles has lost all seven of its games.

CBS research identifies this as the worst combined record of 2-12 for any two teams entering a Week 9 or later game after both made the prior season's postgame. Last year, the two clubs posted a combined 23-11 record. The contrast in performance over twelve months marks a sharp reversal for rosters that entered the 2026 season with high expectations.

Coaching jobs are under pressure as a result. DeMeco Ryans in Houston and Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles face uncertain futures. Betting odds for the first coaching change of the season list Indianapolis' Shane Steichen as the favorite at -175. Harbaugh sits at +800 and Ryans at +1200. This represents the longest stretch of the season without a firing since 2017.

Betting markets show conflicting signals for Houston. The Texans are a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings, but they have captured 79% of the bets and 99% of the money. On the total of 40.5 points, 87% of the handle is on the Under, though only 54% of the wagers agree. The sportsbook projection model assigns Houston a 30% win probability, a figure that climbs to 35.9% if they win the game.

Houston's decline is driven by its defense. The unit allows 6.9 more points per game than last year, rising from 17.4 to 24.3. That is the worst increase in the league. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has played well despite a poor 2025 and is set to earn substantial money on his rookie contract. Oddsmakers initially projected 9.5 wins for Houston, a number that has slipped to 7.5.

The Chargers have fallen even further. They are the third team in the past 30 seasons to start 0-7 after making the playoffs, joining the 1997 and 2011 Indianapolis Colts. L.A. is the first team to start 0-7 while holding the sixth-shortest or better preseason Super Bowl odds since the 1978 Cincinnati Bengals.

Quarterback Justin Herbert has started every game but lacks consistency. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw an interception and take multiple sacks in each of his team's first seven games. His 10 interceptions this season are seven more than in his 2024 breakout year. Herbert has thrown five touchdown passes and no fourth-quarter scores, making him the first quarterback to start 0-7 after a Pro Bowl season and playoff appearance.

The Chargers' offense has seen the largest drop in points per game in the league, falling from 21.7 to 14.1. The decline occurs under first-year coordinator Mike McDaniel. The team is 0-10 straight up and 0-9-1 against the spread in its last 10 games. Win total futures have dropped to 4.5, meaning a bettor who took Under 9.5 in the summer could cash out with a Sunday loss.

Los Angeles has lost 0-6-1 against the spread in its first seven games, a feat not seen since Washington in 1998. The SportsLine Projection Model predicts a 26-16 Houston win. However, the model's author leans toward the Chargers covering the 11.5-point spread at home, citing value compared to the Texans' money line.