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Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers: 2026 Wild Card Playoff Preview
The Houston Texans head to Acrisure Stadium for a Monday Night Football showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 12, 2026, at 8:15 PM ET. ESPN and ABC broadcast the final game of Wild Card Weekend nationally.
Momentum Heading Into Playoffs
Houston brings serious heat with nine straight wins to close the season. The Texans haven't lost since early November. They beat Kansas City 20-10 on the road and topped Indianapolis 38-30 in their finale. C.J. Stroud played just one half in Week 18 before resting with the game in hand. Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled six field goals including a 43-yarder with 12 seconds left to seal that victory.
Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North with a thrilling 26-24 win over Baltimore on Sunday Night Football. The Steelers won the division and secured home field for this Wild Card matchup. Aaron Rodgers leads the offense for a team that went 4-1 in their final five games. Their only recent loss came 13-6 at Cleveland in Week 17.
How They Got Here
The Texans finished 12-5 and grabbed the fifth seed. Houston went 5-3 on the road this year. They rank among the NFL's best defenses by allowing just 17.4 points per game. The team won three consecutive playoff berths under head coach DeMeco Ryans. The defense forced turnovers and controlled games throughout their winning streak.
Pittsburgh went 10-7 and won the AFC North division title. The Steelers posted a strong 6-3 home record at Acrisure Stadium. They give up 22.8 points per contest. Mike Tomlin guided his team to another division crown and home playoff game.
Quarterback Battle
C.J. Stroud threw for 3,041 yards with 19 touchdowns this season. The young quarterback completed 273 of 423 passes with eight interceptions. Stroud sat out the second half of Week 18 after building a comfortable lead. He's grown into a confident leader during Houston's nine-game winning streak.
Aaron Rodgers posted 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns for Pittsburgh. The veteran signal caller completed 327 passes on 498 attempts with seven picks. Rodgers brings tons of playoff experience to this matchup. His championship pedigree gives Pittsburgh confidence in prime time.
Offensive Stars
Woody Marks carried the ball 196 times for 703 yards and two touchdowns for Houston. Nico Collins caught 71 passes for 1,117 yards and six scores to lead all receivers. The Texans averaged 23.8 points per game but relied heavily on their defense during the win streak.
Jaylen Warren rushed for 958 yards and six touchdowns on 211 carries for Pittsburgh. DK Metcalf hauled in 59 catches for 850 yards and six scores. The Steelers put up 23.4 points per contest with a balanced offensive attack.
Defensive Leaders
Danielle Hunter racked up 15 sacks to pace Houston's fierce pass rush. Azeez Al-Shaair led the team with 103 tackles. The Texans defense ranks among the league's elite units. They force opponents into tough situations and create turnovers at crucial moments.
Alex Highsmith recorded 9.5 sacks for Pittsburgh's defense. Payton Wilson topped the team with 126 tackles. The Steelers play solid defense at home and make life difficult for opposing offenses.
Recent Form
Houston won every game over their final nine contests. The Texans beat the Chiefs in Kansas City and handled the Chargers on the road. They crushed Arizona 40-20 and survived close games against Las Vegas and Indianapolis. The offense clicked while the defense dominated down the stretch.
Pittsburgh won four of their last five games. The Steelers beat Baltimore twice and knocked off Detroit on the road. They dropped a tough 13-6 game at Cleveland but bounced back strong. The team beat Miami 28-15 at home in Week 15.
Our Predictions
History favors Pittsburgh in this matchup. The Steelers own a 5-2 record against Houston in their last seven meetings. Acrisure Stadium provides a tough environment for road teams in January. The home crowd creates serious noise on third downs.
Houston's nine-game winning streak and elite defense give them the edge. The Texans beat better teams during their run including Kansas City. Danielle Hunter and the pass rush create havoc against offensive lines. C.J. Stroud stays poised in his first playoff start.
This game stays low-scoring with both defenses controlling the tempo. Houston's defense forces a key turnover late in the fourth quarter. The Texans advance with a hard-fought road win on Monday Night Football. Houston takes it 23-17 and moves on to face the top-seeded Denver Broncos.
What's at Stake
The winner faces Denver in the Divisional Round next weekend. The loser heads home for the offseason. Cold 36-degree weather creates true playoff conditions. This Monday Night Football clash closes Wild Card Weekend and determines which team keeps their championship dreams alive.
| Passing | C/Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud [QB] | 21/32 | 250 | 7.8 | 1 | 1 | 3-6 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud [QB] | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cade Stover [TE] | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Nick Chubb [RB] | 48 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| Jo'quavious Marks [RB] | 112 | 19 | 1 | 20 |
| Receiving | Tgts | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Collins [WR] | 7 | 3 | 21 | 13 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz [TE] | 4 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| Cade Stover [TE] | 2 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 0 |
| Xavier Hutchinson [WR] | 4 | 2 | 21 | 16 | 0 |
| Christian Kirk [WR] | 9 | 8 | 144 | 46 | 1 |
| Jayden Higgins [WR] | 4 | 3 | 39 | 16 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel [WR] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jo'quavious Marks [RB] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fumbles | Fum |
|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud [QB] | 5 |
| Sheldon Rankins [DT] | 0 |
| Interceptions | Int | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calen Bullock [S] | 1 | 50 | 1 |
| Tackles | Tckl | Solo | Sck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naquan Jones [DT] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Damone Clark [LB] | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Myles Bryant [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Denico Autry [DE] | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tommy Togiai [DT] | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Derek Barnett [DE] | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair [LB] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr. [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre [S] | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Danielle Hunter [DE] | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| British Brooks [RB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr. [DE] | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Henry To'oTo'o [LB] | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter [CB] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Jamal Hill [LB] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock [S] | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Xavier Hutchinson [WR] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sheldon Rankins [DT] | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| E.J. Speed [LB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tremon Smith [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaylen Reed [S] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Austin Brinkman [LS] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kick Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylin Noel [WR] | 3 | 59 | 22 | 0 |
| Punt Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylin Noel [WR] | 3 | 22 | 12 | 0 |
| Kicking | FG | Lng | XPM | XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka'imi Fairbairn [PK] | 1/1 | 51 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Punting | No | Yds | TB | in20 | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Townsend [P] | 3 | 125 | 0 | 1 | 60 |
| Passing | C/Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers [QB] | 17/33 | 146 | 4.4 | 0 | 1 | 4-36 |
| Mason Rudolph [QB] | 1/1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Gainwell [RB] | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 |
| Jaylen Warren [RB] | 43 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Receiving | Tgts | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Thielen [WR] | 2 | 2 | 25 | 21 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith [TE] | 3 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Gainwell [RB] | 6 | 4 | 26 | 12 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren [RB] | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Calvin Austin III [WR] | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth [TE] | 3 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf [WR] | 5 | 2 | 42 | 25 | 0 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling [WR] | 5 | 3 | 26 | 14 | 0 |
| Fumbles | Fum |
|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers [QB] | 2 |
| T.J. Watt [LB] | 0 |
| Yahya Black [DE] | 0 |
| Mason McCormick [G] | 0 |
| Interceptions | Int | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandin Echols [CB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tackles | Tckl | Solo | Sck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Dugger [S] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Jabrill Peppers [S] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Harrison [LB] | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen [LB] | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Chuck Clark [S] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols [CB] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Cameron Heyward [DT] | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith [LB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt [LB] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| James Pierre [CB] | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Ben Skowronek [WR] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey [CB] | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Esezi Otomewo [DE] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter Jr. [CB] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon [DT] | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Jack Sawyer [LB] | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Payton Wilson [LB] | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton [DT] | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Nick Herbig [LB] | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Yahya Black [DE] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Bruener [LB] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr. [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kick Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Gainwell [RB] | 4 | 100 | 28 | 0 |
| Punt Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Austin III [WR] | 1 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Kicking | FG | Lng | XPM | XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell [PK] | 2/2 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Punting | No | Yds | TB | in20 | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corliss Waitman [P] | 6 | 273 | 0 | 4 | 56 |
