The Chargers are now 0-8 after a 44-22 home loss to the Texans on Sunday.

Here are five takeaways from the Bolts in Week 9:

1. Bolts drop to 0-8

The Chargers have reached the halfway point of the regular season.

And they're left still searching for the first victory of the year.

"Bitter pill to swallow anytime you don't win a game," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said postgame. "But, keep fighting, fight on."

Charlie Kolar added: "It's a results-driven business. We're 0-8, we're not playing good football. Got to get in the win column."

The loss on Sunday against the Texans followed a similar trend to what we've seen through parts of the first half of the season.

The Chargers began the game moving the ball on offense and settling in on defense, keeping it within one possession for most of the first half, but unable to get ahead in the scoreboard.

They hit the last six minutes of the second quarter and trailed by just one — but then were outscored by 28 over the next 20-plus minutes of game time.

Harbaugh said his message in the locker room was continuing to emphasize what he has been throughout the tough start to the season.

"I'll say the same thing I said to them, [which is] what I believe in," Harbaugh said. "Stay together."

The players echoed a similar sentiment, as they lean on each other and shift to attack the upcoming week.

"First and foremost, you stay together," Tony Jefferson added. "Then secondly you watch the tape and fix the leaks and everything that's not helping us towards getting a win.

"The proof is in the pudding in the tape," Jefferson added. "We'll watch that, fix it and get back to it."

Joe Alt added: "The message stays the same, we want to win football games. When it comes down to it. We just have to continue to work, whatever it takes to win that game. That's been the message, look at yourself, make yourself be the best version of yourself on gameday, continue to try for that every day."

The Bolts know at 0-8, continuing to fight for improvement and push forward is what they can do to try and get their first win of the season.

"Just going to keep fighting," Justin Herbert said. "As tough as it is, there's nothing else that we can do other than go out there and give our best effort throughout the week."

Herbert later added: "That's what makes this team so special, and so close. It's been tough but we got to keep pushing, we got to keep playing. We got a game next week, and we got to get ready for it."

The Chargers hit the road in Week 10, as they play their first primetime game of the season against the Ravens on Monday Night Football.

"I can't think of any loss that's not a bitter pill to swallow," Harbaugh said. "Pick yourself back up and go back to work and fight on."

"Like giving up or giving in? It's not in our vocabulary. It's not our culture," Harbaugh later added.

Alt added: "We want to win a game, and we haven't. As a competitor, you that losing, that's the whole game. Hunting for the next one."

2. Cold stretch stalls offense

Similar to last week, the Bolts offense came out moving the ball.

The unit came out of the gate and scored three field goals on their first four drives, falling short of the endzone but keeping themselves in the game.

But a scoreless stretch in the middle of the game proved to be costly as they could not quite find their footing consistently after that.

"It comes down to execution," Alt said. "We just got to execute down in, down out through this stretch and be better."

The next six drives of the game for the Chargers offense ended without points, including three punts, an interception, a fumble and turnover on downs. In that same timeframe, the Texans scored 28 points.

They finished the afternoon converting just five of 17 third downs, including two of seven in the second half.

"Going to that microcosm, moving the ball," Harbaugh said. "We weren't as good on third down as the Texans were, offensively."

He later added: "That was just a part of the game that we got beat."

The offense did snap a cold streak getting into the endzone early in the fourth quarter.

Herbert found Quentin Johnston short over the middle, as the receiver then took it and ran for a 58-yard score, the longest play of the season so far for the Bolts.

It was the Chargers' first touchdown since the third quarter of Week 5.

"I think it's always good to score. Obviously, we want to score on every single possession," Herbert said. "It didn't go our way, but I appreciate the fight, for everyone continuing to show up and go out there with the mindset that we are going to go down there and score."

Alt added: "We want to move the ball, we want to win football games. Of course, putting the ball in the endzone is always awesome. We want to win football games, whatever that entails. If that entails scoring more points than we did, then we're not happy."

3. Defense gives up explosive plays

The Chargers defense had been a strong suit for the Chargers in the first seven games of the season.

But they left Sunday afternoon disappointed with their performance in Week 9.

"Not our standard," Tarheeb Still said after the game. "Not our standard whatsoever."

The unit allowed a season-high 485 yards and 44 points to the Texans in the loss in a game where they also allowed eight of 14 third down conversions.

Houston averaged 7.3 yards per play and scored 34 points from the second quarter on.

"It came down to execution," Jefferson said. "Sometimes things are going fast, guys got to relay the calls and execute. At the end of the day, it comes down to execution.

"We have to do a better job of that as players," Jefferson added.

The Chargers defense also allowed a season-high in passing yards as Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 384 yards, five touchdowns and interception.

But perhaps the biggest stat was the amount of explosive plays Houston were able to put together.

The unit allowed nine passes of at least 15 yards in Week 9, including two touchdowns of 63 yards, after allowing the fourth fewest in the NFL the first eight weeks (31) according to Pro Football Focus.

"We had a gameplan we wanted to do and we didn't execute it," Still said. "That's on us, poor execution, not what we wanted at all. Way too many explosives."

Harbaugh added: "Tight coverage, and they made some catches that were incredible. [Stroud], heck of a game."

They entered the week ranked ninth in EPA per play (0.024) and 10^th in success rate (45.8 percent) according to PFF, and now quickly shift their focus to correcting things.

"The biggest thing is understanding where you have to get better, understanding you have to get up there and challenge routes, make guys earn everything they get," Still said. "Play confident, play fast but really just understanding the game plan, executing at a high level."

4. Missed opportunities in first half

The Bolts had a number of opportunities they weren't able to capitalize on in the first half with the game in reach.

The first came early in the second quarter, when Herbert and the offense then moved the ball down the field, setting up first-and goal from the nine with a chance to potentially tie the game.

But then came two runs that were stopped and a pass that led to negative yardage, as they settled for a short 33-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker that cut the deficit to four.

"Just weren't making plays," Herbert said. "Didn't score points when we got in the red zone and got to execute on third down and we weren't doing that enough."

They then got the ball back almost immediately at the Texans 38-yard line after a Daiyan Henley interception and were set up in plus territory with a chance to take the lead.

Again, however, the offense stalled in the high redzone and were forced to attempt another field goal, this time from 43 yards out.

The field goal put the Bolts down one, the closest they would be the rest of the way.

"We want to move the ball, we want to win football games," Alt said. "Of course, putting the ball in the endzone is always awesome."

Mitchell added: "We just got to stay consistent. Take it one play after another and finish the drives."

Another chance came before the end of the first half with the Chargers down eight.

The defense gave the ball back to the offense for a potential two-minute situation but were forced to punt after a quick three-and-out.

Texans returner Tank Dell then muffed the punt at the Houston 27-yard line with a minute and 17 seconds left, leading to a scramble to try and recover the loose ball.

Houston would retain possession, however, and would drive down the field to add another touchdown before the half.

"They made the plays, some incredible plays. We gave up some that we haven't," Harbaugh said. "Chance for a fumble on the ground, we got opportunities to jump on that mistake, and we didn't get it."

Harbaugh later added: "They made the plays and took advantage of the opportunities. So, we go back to work. That's what we do."

5. Pressure on the QB

Another factor in Sunday's result for the Chargers was the sack total on both sides.

Herbert was sacked a career-high eight times in the loss, while the Bolts defense notched one sack on Stroud, a split by Caleb Murphy and Jefferson.

"Yeah, too many times," Harbaugh said. "Make adjustments and continue to do everything in our power to keep him protected.

"I thought the Texans did a lot better job protecting the quarterback, we were beat in that phase," he added.

Herbert added: "I think, always, you have to be aware of any premier pass rusher like that and understand that throwing the ball away is better than a sack so that's something that I could've done better."

Alt said after the game it was something the unit is looking to address and work at immediately.

"It's extremely frustrating," Alt said. "As an offensive lineman, we don't want that to happen. Whatever it's going to entail not have that happen again is what we have to work at. We got to take a serious look at it in the offensive line room to not let that happen."

He later added: "As offensive linemen, we pride ourselves on not letting our quarterback get touched. Got to get back on the drawing board, continue to work, get better and not let that happen again."