The Houston Texans have advanced to the divisional round for the third consecutive year. This latest trip comes after DeMeco Ryans’ club entered Acrisure Stadium and pulled off a 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, notching the franchise’s first-ever playoff road victory. Now, Houston will advance to visit the New England Patriots, while the Steelers fade into the offseason, where questions about Aaron Rodgers’ future await.
For the bulk of this playoff contest, it was a tightly contested game from a scoreboard perspective, with the Texans holding a 7-6 lead at halftime, and that remained the case entering the fourth quarter. However, the game was much more one-sided, particularly when Houston was on defense and Pittsburgh was on offense. The Steelers had absolutely no answer for what the Texans were dialing up defensively, converting just two of their 14 third-down opportunities.
The levees broke in the final frame when Will Anderson Jr. stripped Rodgers, and Sheldon Rankins picked up the loose ball and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. That extended Houston’s lead to two scores and effectively left Pittsburgh in the rearview mirror.
That defensive showcase by the Texans was much needed in this playoff win, especially as C.J. Stroud struggled throughout the evening. The third-year quarterback committed three turnovers in the win. In all, Stroud fumbled five times, with two being recovered by the Steelers defense, while also throwing a red-zone interception. Despite giving Pittsburgh ample opportunity to jump ahead, the Steelers managed just three points off those turnovers, which proved to be a key difference-maker.
Stroud finished his night completing 21 of 32 passes for 250 yards, a touchdown, an interception and two fumbles. He became just the second quarterback in the last 35 years to win a game in which he fumbled five-plus times and threw an interception, joining Eli Manning (Week 16 of the 2007 season). His top target was Christian Kirk, who turned back the clock with eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. On the other side, Rodgers completed 17 of 33 passes for 146 yards and an interception in what may be the final game of the 42-year-old’s NFL career.
For more on how this game unfolded, check out our takeaways below:
Houston defense bails out C.J. Stroud
It was a downright bad showing from C.J. Stroud, as he simply didn’t look comfortable throughout the evening. He also seemed to have quite a bit of miscommunication with his center, which contributed to a few of his five total fumbles on the night. Stroud lost two fumbles on strip sacks, and his jumpiness in the pocket was alarming. Linebacker Jack Sawyer got to him on his first fumble, and then defensive lineman Keeanu Benton got home for the second two drives later. Stroud also threw a horrific interception in the red zone in the early stages of the third quarter.
Despite that poor play from Stroud, the Texans defense essentially made it a non-factor. Houston held Pittsburgh to just three points off those turnovers. It forced the Steelers into a three-and-out after the first fumble and a punt after gaining just 23 yards following the interception. The unit allowed points only after Stroud’s second fumble, but that happened only because the turnover occurred at the Houston 19-yard line. Pittsburgh traveled only four net yards on that possession before opting for the field goal.
Long story short, Stroud owes his buddies on the defensive side of the ball a steak dinner.
Pittsburgh’s offense couldn’t move an inch
Pittsburgh couldn’t do anything offensively as Houston took away everything underneath, and the Steelers were unable to push the ball down the field either.
- They converted just two of their 14 third-down opportunities in the loss (0-for-6 in the first half) and went 0-for-2 in the red zone.
- They managed just 175 yards of total offense, giving them a lackluster 3.1 yards-per-play average.
- Their six points were the fewest in a playoff game since 1996, and those 175 yards of total offense were the lowest in a playoff contest since the 1947 Eagles.
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Steelers one-and-done again
Given how much of a demolition this was, it’s fair to wonder what the future holds for Mike Tomlin. After all, this puts him on a seven-game losing streak in the playoffs, which is tied for the longest by a head coach in NFL history.
Over the course of that seven-game playoff skid, the Steelers have lost five straight games by 10-plus points, which has never been done in NFL history. Pittsburgh has lost four straight home playoff games for the first time in franchise history.
This is all the wrong kind of history to be making and makes one wonder whether a shakeup is necessary.
Aaron Rodgers’ final moment in the NFL?
This might be it for Aaron Rodgers, as the 42-year-old quarterback has been candid this season about the 2025 campaign potentially being his last in the NFL. While nothing is official, the future Hall of Fame quarterback could be hanging it up.
If so, his final moment will be a worthwhile trivia question. Rodgers’ (potential) final pass in the NFL was a pick-6 by Calen Bullock, who took it 50 yards to the house to further put the game out of reach.
Rodgers, who dropped to 11-11 in his playoff career with this loss, was pulled from the game after that as Mason Rudolph ran out the clock.