HOUSTON — Eric Murray returned one of Justin Herbert’s career-high four interceptions for a touchdown, C.J. Stroud threw a TD pass and the Texans rolled past the Chargers 32-12 in a wild-card playoff game Saturday.

It’s the second straight year Stroud and the Texans (11-7) won in the first round after they beat the Browns last season.

Herbert threw just three interceptions in the regular season and had never thrown more than two in a game before facing a Texans secondary led by AP All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, who had two INTs. Rookie Kamari Lassiter had the other pick.

The Chargers (11-7), who returned to the playoffs under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, lost in the wild-card round for a second straight time after also losing in the 2022 season to remain without a postseason win since 2018.

Stroud threw for 282 yards with the touchdown pass to Nico Collins and an interception. Stroud joined the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, Ravens’ Joe Flacco, Jets’ Mark Sanchez, Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and 49ers’ Brock Purdy as quarterbacks to win playoff starts in each of their first two seasons.

Collins finished with seven catches for 122 yards. Joe Mixon ran for 106 yards and a score. D’Angelo Ross returned a blocked extra point for 2 points for the Texans in the fourth quarter.

Herbert was 14 of 32 for 242 yards with a 40.9 passer rating.

Things looked bad early for the Texans, who fumbled on their first offense play and were down 6-0 with about a minute left in the first half.

But Stroud threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Collins to put the Texans on top. Ka’imi Fairbairn added a 41-yard field goal to give the hosts a 10-6 lead into halftime.

They were up 13-6 when Murray scored his first career touchdown on a 38-yard interception return late in the third quarter.

Herbert was picked off again on the next drive when Stingley grabbed a pass that was tipped off tight end Will Dissly. The third overall pick in the 2022 draft intercepted Herbert again late in the fourth quarter.

Herbert found Ladd McConkey for an 86-yard touchdown reception to cut the Chargers’ deficit to 23-12 in the fourth quarter. But Cameron Dicker’s extra-point attempt was blocked and returned by Ross to make it 25-12.

Denico Autry blocked the kick. The ball flew high in the air on the deflection and Dicker tried to knock it down, but it bounced off his hands. Ross grabbed it and returned it for the score — the first such play in NFL postseason history.

The NFL began awarding two points for an extra point returned to the end zone in 2015. Before that, a blocked extra point recovered by the defense was a dead ball.

It was the ninth extra point returned for a score since the rule change, according to Sportradar. It happened once in the 2024 regular season when the Eagles did it against the Buccaneers on Sept. 29.

There have also been five 2-point conversion tries returned for two points the other way during that span.

A 17-yard run by Mixon extended the Texans’ advantage to 32-12 with about four minutes to go.

The Chargers were up by 3 after a field goal on their first drive when John Metchie fumbled after a catch on Houston’s first offensive play and it was recovered by Derwin James. Dicker added a 39-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to make it 6-0.

Deane Leonard intercepted Stroud early in the second quarter, but Lassiter picked off Herbert on the next play to give the Texans the ball back. But the Texans couldn’t move the ball and punted.

Stroud and the Texans offense finally got something going. The Texans were facing third-and-16 from their 17 when Stroud fumbled the snap and it rolled 4 yards behind him. He scooped it up and evaded the rush to find Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain.

Stroud connected with Collins on a 37-yard reception two plays later to get the Texans in the red zone. He found Collins again on third-and-11 to put the Texans on top 7-6 about a minute before halftime.

The Texans forced a punt to get the ball back with 27 seconds left in the second quarter. A 27-yard run by Stroud got the Texans to the Chargers 36.

The QB beat his chest and screamed after taking a hard hit at the end of the run.