pittsburgh-the houston texans Won their first road playoff game in franchise history, dominating pittsburgh steelers 30–6 in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The Texans’ defense held the Steelers’ offense to 175 yards, scored two touchdowns and harassed future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback aaron rodgers.
Rodgers-led teams have been held under 20 points in a playoff game only once in 21 previous starts, a 13-10 loss in the 2022 divisional round. san francisco 49ers That was the signal-caller’s last playoff game with Green Bay.
Houston’s offense left much to be desired until the fourth quarter, starting at quarterback. CJ StroudThree turnovers on the evening.
Still, the Texans finished with 408 yards rushing, and the rushing attack was effective with the rookie woody marks Recorded his first 100-yard rushing performance.
now will face texas new England Patriots on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) in the divisional round.
Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:
No. 5 Houston Texans
Viewing Trends: The Texas rushing attack was powerful, as it finished with 164 yards passing. Marks led the offense and finished with 112 rushing yards on 19 carries and one touchdown. If Houston, which averaged 108.9 yards rushing in the regular season (22nd), can rush for more than 150 yards on the ground, their chances improve even more behind that defense.
Most Amazing Performance: Kirk had his first 100-yard performance of the campaign with 144 yards and a touchdown. He never had more than 64 yards in the regular season and had not recorded a 100-yard receiving game since November 12, 2023. He was the best offensive playmaker on Monday night.
turn: defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins Returned a fumble to Rodgers for a touchdown. The Texans were only leading 10–6 at that point, but that fumble recovery helped Houston take a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, when offensive touchdowns were hard to come by. – DJ Bien-Aime
No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers
Playing a home playoff game in front of fans for the first time since 2018, the Steelers’ run into the postseason ended much like their previous seven trips — even if they didn’t follow the same script in defeat.
Unlike a year earlier, the Steelers’ defense mostly held up, but the offense’s failure to capitalize on a solid performance from the D ultimately cost the Steelers another first-round exit.
With the loss, Mike Tomlin became the first head coach in franchise history to win nine consecutive seasons without a playoff win. Chants of “Fire Tomlin” began late in the fourth quarter, becoming louder as the Texans increased their lead. By the time Rodgers threw a pick-six with 2:39 remaining, the crowd’s chants subsided as indifference replaced their anger.
Tomlin is under contract for at least one more year and a decision on the club’s 2027 option is due by March 1. Although parting ways with Tomlin would break precedent for an organization with only three head coaches since 1969, the franchise has undoubtedly reached another crossroads this off-season as the team remains in mediocrity – good enough to reach the playoffs, but not good enough to get past the first weekend.
QB Breakdown: Although his fourth-quarter play a week earlier helped propel the Steelers into the playoffs, Rodgers suffered a loss to the Texans’ defense. The general plan of throwing short and letting their playmakers pick up extra yards certainly wasn’t as effective against the Texans tackling. Rodgers was also sacked four times, including once in the first half when he was fumbled after a good performance by the left tackle. dylan cook. And in the second half, Rodgers was defeated by Rankins and Will Anderson Jr..; The Rock fight was sealed with a scoop and score from Rankins. On the next drive, Rodgers again lost a sack after completing an 18-yard pass. Pat FreiermuthAnd the drive stopped at midfield. Despite all the highs of Rodgers’ campaign in Pittsburgh, his final performance was poor.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Running the ball on first downs in the first three quarters. Jaylen Warren broke a 10-yard run on the first play of the game, but that was the Steelers’ first run of the ball until Kenneth Gainwell’s 14-yard effort in the fourth quarter against the league’s fourth-best rushing defense. Over the course of three quarters, the Steelers ran the ball for first downs eight times, gaining 21 yards and averaging 2.6 yards per carry. However, in seven first-down pass plays, he gained 62 yards and averaged 8.9 yards per carry.
Statistics to know: The Steelers, who had been outscored 73–0 in the first quarter in their last six playoff losses, led Houston 3–0 after the first quarter. This is the first time the Steelers have been ahead entering the second quarter of a playoff contest since the 2016 wild-card game. miami dolphinsDue to which they were leading 14-3. Pittsburgh would win 30–12. –Brooke Pryor
