The Chargers are set for an AFC matchup against the Texans in Week 9.

The Chargers and Texans play Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. (PT).

The Chargers-Texans betting line shows the Bolts are Week 9 underdogs.

Here are five final thoughts ahead of Week 9.

1. All eyes on the Texans

At 0-7 and 10 games left in the regular season, the Chargers understand the situation they're in.

Week 9 is on the horizon, and Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh senses that everyone continues to attack it to their best of their abilities each day with a narrow focus.

"Our lane isn't wide, it's a very narrow lane," Harbaugh said on Friday. "One game, one opponent. Get ourselves prepared and get ready to play."

He later added: "Attacking and getting ready for this game. It's a one-week lane that we're in, players and coaches."

It was evident throughout the week of practices, as Harbaugh praised the group for pushing full steam ahead.

"Strong and highly motivated. That's what I see in our team and that's what I see in our players," Harbaugh said. "Strong mindset, strong physically.

"Keep pressing forward. Fortune favors those who press on," Harbaugh added. "That's what we're doing."

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Chris O’Leary added: "Guys are sticking together, playing hard. We're going to get this thing flipped at some point here quick."

From coaches to veteran leaders like Khalil Mack, they echoed how the group has stuck together through it all with a narrow focus.

A one-game mindset is what's been on the forefront of everyone's mind.

"You got to approach it one game at a time," Mack said. "Focus on this game, it's the biggest game because it's the next game. Just preparing to win the game."

"We just want to get a win. It boils down to, the past is the past, we're in the present," Joe Alt continued. "Don't get into the future, what can we do each and every day to go 1-0 on the day so we can get to the point where we go 1-0 on Sunday. That's where we're at and where we want to be."

Omarion Hampton added: "With the one game mindset. Trying to win the first game."

The Bolts will look for their first win against a 2-5 Texans team coming off their bye week.

With 10 games to go, all eyes are lasered in on Week 9.

"Using everything as motivation and finding a way to climb out of deficit by focusing on what's in front of us, which is the Texans," Mack said.

Mack later continued: "It's what we work for, what we work towards. I feel like we're right there. We're going to be able to do what we want to do in the coming weeks."

Harbaugh added: "We're hellbent on winning this game… We're pressing forward."

2. Preparing for Houston's EDGE rushers

Those who have been on the Chargers in recent seasons have seen the Texans defense each of the last two years.

And even if the numbers through seven games aren't the same for Houston's unit, their edge duo of Will Anderson, Jr., and Danielle Hunter continues to wreak havoc up there with the best of them.

"It starts with their edges," Alt said. "They got a great edge group."

Harbaugh added: "I hate to compare. As good as any, if not. Outstanding."

The 25-year-old Anderson enters Week 9 tied for the NFL lead with 7.5 sacks, while the veteran Hunter has racked up 4.0.

Anderson also leads the NFL with 41 pressures this season, as his 19 quick pressures (within 2.5 seconds) rank second in the league according to Next Gen Stats.

Hunter, meanwhile, ranks 15^th with 30 pressures through seven games, as his 35.6 percent chip/double team rate is the highest among edge rushers with 100 or more pass rushes.

Chargers Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel, who has a long history with Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans that includes coaching together in San Francisco, explained the challenge the duo brings to offense.

"Their hallmark is their style of play. They play very hard and physical," McDaniel said. "The edge rushers are as elite as they come.

"They're not only pass players, they strain on run downs, chase the ball," McDaniel added. "If you're not playing convicted football, they will."

Anderson leads all edge rushers with 16 run stops in 2026, with Hunter adding five.

They each have different styles of plays that also make it difficult to prepare for no matter where they line up.

"They're both unique in their own ways," Alt said. "Danielle, he's a vet, he's got a lot of experience and unique in the way he plays and gets tackles off balance. Will has an elite get off, elite power and catches tackles not ready for it and takes advantage.

"They both have really high motors too. They continue to hunt the quarterback," Alt added. "Even if you feel like you have them blocked, they continue to hunt."

Overall as a unit, Houston's defense ranks lower in passing yards allowed (29^th), EPA per play (24^th), points per game (18^th) and success rate (17^th) compared to a season ago when they ranked top six in each.

The Bolts know, however, their style of play has not changed one bit, as their defense requires the full attention and will be one of their toughest challenges yet.

"It's a cool challenge," McDaniel said. "It helps you not worry about the entire season when you turn on their tape because you know you're going to have a physical war on Sunday so you better prepare for it.

"It's a good matchup for us in terms of we have to get over our hump to have expectations to be successful against this defense," McDaniel added. "We're not looking for any favors, so we're going to have to earn it."

Justin Herbert added: "They've got some new pieces and they fly around and play the same type of fast, passionate defense. They're very good."

3. Defense looking for more growth

The Chargers defense continues to make strides week to week in Chris O'Leary's first year.

The unit enters the week ranked ninth in EPA per play (0.024) and 10^th in success rate (45.8 percent) according to Pro Football Focus.

They are also allowing the ninth-fewest points per game (20.0), top five in total yards allowed (285.2) and have a top five redzone (46.94 percent) and goal to go defense (56.52 percent).

But in their eyes there's plenty of room for more, including putting a full game together.

"The challenge for us almost every week is let's put a 60-minute game together," O'Leary said. "We started really fast last game, we're going into half, we got to get a two-minute stop to end the half and see where we go in the second half. We give one up there.

"For us, that's just the focus," O'Leary added. "We've seen improvement in every area that we focused on as a staff and as players, so we expect the same thing to continue. We want to put a whole game together."

The defense got off to a dominant start last game, not allowing a first down conversion in the first five drives.

However, the unit allowed touchdown drives to end the first half and to start the second half, something they are narrowing in on heading into Week 9.

"We need to get better in that area. It's definitely a focus," O'Leary said. "A lot of it is two-minute for us that we're focused on. We need to improve in that area.

"Coming out of half when they start with the ball, it's a critical drive as well," O'Leary added. "A lot of times, that's almost like the openers whether you start the first half on defense or the second half, you got to come out attack, play fast and you got to get a stop."

Same could be said about withstanding sudden changes and short fields.

The Chargers defense emphasized responding to short fields earlier in the season and have seen better results on that front — but it's not up to the level they believe they can get to.

"Defensively, we have to respond better," Mack said. "Depending on where they get the ball, we can't let them turn into seven points. Making sure we handle sudden change situations at an elite level, which I think is going to help us in the long run."

Jamaree Caldwell added: "For us, we start on our side of the field, the best thing to make us feel better about our defense is get a stop and hold them to a field goal or get a takeaway. That's how you have to look at it."

The flashes have been there, and they're focused on turning them into something more than that.

"We're going to get angry and address every day with a kind of pissed off for greatness mindset," O'Leary said. "That's what we want out of our defense. We're doing that right now and going to keep doing it until the season is over."

O'Leary later added: "Similar to a lot of stuff where there's flashes of greatness, and then we just need the consistency."

4. A shift to the coaches' box

McDaniel announced a change to where he will call plays from this week against the Texans.

The Chargers offensive playcaller said he will be shifting to the coaches' box after starting the season on the sideline, something he brought up to Harbaugh this week.

"This week one of the things I talked with coach about, one of the things I want to try is call plays from the box, to see adjustments myself and communicate to position coaches appropriately," McDaniel said. "What things we can focus on between series. That's the latest in things."

He later added: "It seems like a good action to take based on how things have gone this year and realistically something that I only brought up because I'm very confident in the rest of the offensive coaching staff and how they're able to set the tone and communicate information on the sidelines."

McDaniel was last in the coaches' box as the 49ers Offensive Coordinator in 2021.

He explained the move and how it differentiates from the sideline.

"It's like watching tape. You train yourself over time to see the game on the field. One of the reasons I stand behind the ball so far is so I can kind of try to get a visual of all 22 because you're so close to the ball, you can have your peripheries shut out. That's not the case from the box."

McDaniel later added: "I think it will be something that, based on all the working parts, could help us this week. We'll continue to problem-solve until we get this thing right."

It continues to be all hands on deck to figure out ways to jumpstart the Chargers offense.

"Everybody. Mike, all the coaches on offense, myself, the players," Harbaugh said. "We're working harder and continuously working harder and smarter. That's just what we've been doing."

Entering Week 9, the Bolts rank last in EPA per play (-0.219), success rate (39.5 percent) and points per game (14.1).

The adjustments coming out of the bye week did not change the outcome, but McDaniel echoes that they continue to stick together and add as a group to get things turned around.

"There's been a lot of changes, not a lot of changes in results," McDaniel said. "It's important to keep a very focused problem-solving vision on things."

He later added: "There's a lot of belief that we hold as a group, players and coaches connected, and we need to see our football be better. We were expecting it and didn't come to fruition. We're trying new and aggressive things to get that done as fast as possible."

The Chargers have now gone nine quarters and 27 offensive drives without a touchdown, their last coming in the third quarter of Week 9.

"Fully aware," Harbaugh said. "We want to win, we want to get the ball in the endzone, that's exactly what I'm focused on."

There were some strides in the second quarter where they were able to move the ball down the field but ultimately stalled out before the redzone.

Those drives have come into emphasis this week — turning shorter field goals into six.

"We got to continue drives into the endzone, we're not scoring enough points, and we need to give ourselves opportunities at redzone [opportunities]," McDaniel said. "We moved the ball down to the strike zone, high red, then the drive stalled."

Alt added: "There have been strides made, not getting the result and, as we said, scoring touchdowns, moving the ball, putting points on the board, not turning the ball over. Those are things we're striving every day to improve."

With another week on deck, the Bolts offense continues to come together to try and turn things around.

"It's been a tough season, but the group, like most of the time when you have supreme adversity, you either splinter or come closer together," McDaniel said. "I think it's coming closer together.

"I have reasonable expectation for things to improve," he added.

5. Njoku returns to practice

The Chargers offense saw a big return to the practice field this week.

Tight end David Njoku had his 21-day practice window opened on Wednesday after being placed on Injured Reserve following Week 2 and was a limited participant in all three sessions.

Njoku is listed as doubtful for Week 9.

"I feel pretty good. It's a work in progress," Njoku said earlier this week. "We're just going to take it one day at a time."

Njoku played in the team's first two games of the season and proved to have a role in the pass game, hauling in six receptions for 67 yards before suffering a fibula injury against the Raiders while blocking on a run play.

The 10-year veteran said like all injuries, it was frustrating to miss time, but he made sure to put everything in the rehab process.

"It sucks. Injuries are never fun," Njoku said. "It's also part of the game, this beautiful game we call football. It happens, it is what it is. It's not really about how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you can get up after you get knocked down. That's life."

He later added: "We attacked the [heck] out of [rehab] every day. One day at a time like I said earlier. Great training staff that we have here, they did a great job and still doing a great job. It's a work in progress."

Njoku said he was taking it day-by-day in terms of when he is set to return to game action, but will know when the time comes.

"It's usually a switch in my head," Njoku said. "Once that switch says green light, I'm ready to go.

"Whenever that switch happens, it happens," he added.

Whenever he does return, he's focused on helping the offense get things going in whatever role that may be.

"Whatever I can do to help the team is a blessing, for me and the team," Njoku said. "I think we have the players to do it. It just hasn't been going our way lately. Hopefully we can start picking it up like we're supposed to."