The Texans ranked as one of the best defenses in the league during the regular season and their playoff debut was as impressive as any performance they had in their previous 17 games.
Houston shut out the Steelers in the second half of Monday night’s game and they scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to put the finishing touches on a dominant outing. According to ESPN research, the 30-6 win was the second time in NFL playoff history that a team has scored multiple defensive touchdowns without allowing their opponents a touchdown.
Safety Calen Bullock had the second score on a 50-yard interception of what might have been Aaron Rodgers’ final NFL pass and he said after the game that the Texans are staking their claim as the best unit in the league.
“Shoot, I think everybody knows we are the best defense,” Bullock said, via DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN.com. “The whole world knows that. Every time we go out there we show it and we went out there and showed it today. I don’t even think they scored a touchdown.”
Monday’s win sends the Texans to New England in the divisional round and the Patriots were a lot more prolific offensively than the Steelers were this year. That should provide Bullock and company with a stiffer test than they had in Pittsburgh and a similar outing could send the Texans to the AFC title game for the first time in franchise history.
The New England Patriots are favored to reach the AFC Championship Game.
The Patriots are three-point favorites against the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs, a line set after the Texans advanced by beating the Steelers 30-6 on Monday night.
The last time these two teams played was in Week Six of 2024, when the Texans won, 41-21. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 20 of 31 passes for 192 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.
Both the Texans’ and Patriots’ defenses were dominant in the wild card round, so neither quarterback is likely to have an easy day when they meet on Sunday.
The Steelers’ playoff frustration continues, as they have now gone nine seasons without a playoff win. Houston’s 30-6 victory in Pittsburgh has opened the door to questions about the futures of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Texans dominated Rodgers and the Steelers offense all night, with two second-half defensive touchdowns. They have won in the wild-card round for the third consecutive year, although tonight was Houston’s first road playoff win in franchise history.
The Texans advance to play the Patriots on Sunday, trying to win in the divisional round for the first time in team history.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud kept the Steelers in the game with three turnovers. The Steelers, though, got only three points and 32 yards out of the three drives that followed Stroud’s two fumbles and his interception.
The Texans harassed Rodgers, sacking him four times, hitting him 12 times, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass. Will Anderson’s strip-sack of Rodgers led to Sheldon Rankins’ 33-yard fumble return for a touchdown that pushed the Texans’ lead to 17-6 with 11:23 left.
In what could be the final pass of Rodgers’ career, Calen Bullock capped the defense’s night with a 50-yard pick-six with 2:39 remaining.
Rodgers went 17-of-33 for 146 yards and an interception, with DK Metcalf catching two passes for 42 yards.
The Texans outgained the Steelers 408 to 175.
Stroud, who had trouble with the snap, fumbled five times and lost two. He was 21-of-32 for 250 yards and a touchdown and an interception that came in the red zone with the Texans threatening to pull away on the first drive of the second half.
Nico Collins, the team’s top receiver, left with a concussion late in the third quarter. It would seem unlikely he would gain clearance in time to return for the divisional game on a short week.
Christian Kirk picked up the slack with a career night, catching eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Woody Marks had 112 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, and Nick Chubb added 10 carries for 48 yards.
The last time the Texans played the Steelers — in the 2023 regular season — they won by the same 30-6 score.
Now that the Texans have beaten the Steelers in the wild-card round, the NFL has finalized the schedule for the divisional round.
On Saturday, the Broncos will host the Bills at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The Seahawks and the 49ers will play in Seattle at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
On Sunday, the Texans will visit the Patriots at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Rams will face the Bears at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
The decision to put the Texans-Patriots on Sunday afternoon fits with the theory that Steelers-Patriots would have been the late game on Sunday. Instead, the Rams and Chicago will meet in the postseason for the first time since the 1985 NFC Championship on Sunday night.
The Texans have not only frustrated Aaron Rodgers, but hit him hard, too.
Their third sack of the Steelers quarterback resulted in a fumble, which was forced by Will Anderson Jr., and defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins picked it up and ran 33 yards for a touchdown.
That might be the death knell for the Steelers, who have only 149 yards and trail 17-6 with 11:23 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers is only 16-of-29 for 141 yards.
The Texans have 324 yards, but until Rankins’ touchdown, they had kept hope alive for the Steelers with C.J. Stroud’s three turnovers. Stroud has lost two fumbles and thrown an interception.
