NFL refs infuriate Chargers with controversial calls on Texans go-ahead drive

It didn't even take us a full half of football for the NFL playoffs to give us our first officiating controversy.

The Houston Texans started their Wild Card showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers about as poorly as you can imagine, with a three-and-out and a turnover leading to an early 6-0 hole and Bobby Slowik continuing to have no answers to make CJ Stroud's life easier on offense. But in the second quarter, the script flipped — and depending on who you're rooting for, the Texans either had their own players or the referees to thank.

Texans benefit from controversial calls on go-ahead drive vs. Chargers

With Houston backed up inside its own 10-yard line, the Chargers appeared poised to stretch their lead even further. L.A. blew straight through the interior of Houston's line, blowing up a pass play on 2nd and 3. Stroud spun to his left and quickly threw the ball away, but while the refs ruled an incomplete pass, Jim Harbaugh demanded to know why it wasn't intentional grounding and a safety.

Upon further review, it does look like Stroud barely makes it outside the tackle box, although he was cutting it awfully close. Close enough that many Chargers fans were irate at the ruling — even more so after a second judgment call went against them just a few plays later.

This time Stroud managed to find an open receiver, hitting Dalton Schultz over the middle of the field. But just as Schultz was looking to turn and run, the ball was jarred free. The Chargers picked the ball up and began to run back to the other way, only for officials to rule it an incomplete pass. You be the judge:

It's certainly a close call, one that could probably have gone either way. But the fact that two such calls went against the Chargers on the same drive, a drive that eventually resulted in a go-ahead touchdown pass to Nico Collins and a 10-6 halftime lead for the Texans, will likely have Los Angeles fuming if the team doesn't come back to win in the second half.