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Retired NFL star J.J. Watt was amazed by the Houston Texans’ 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card playoff on Monday at Acrisure Stadium.
As a Wisconsin native and former Steelers rival, Watt shared his disbelief on X (formerly known as Twitter), noting how Houston’s top-ranked defense held Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh to just 175 total yards.
The Texans ended their 0-6 road playoff streak. Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble 33 yards for a touchdown, and Calen Bullock added a 50-yard interception return on Rodgers’ final pass.
Rodgers threw for just 146 yards in the final game of his 21st season. The four-time MVP would take some time before deciding whether to return next fall.
Despite C.J. Stroud throwing three turnovers, Houston gained 408 total yards. Woody Marks ran for 112 yards and a touchdown, while Christian Kirk caught eight passes for 144 yards.
Watt spent most of his 12-year career with the Texans but faced a choice between his former team and his family. His brother T.J. led Pittsburgh into the first-round playoff matchup, and Watt discussed the personal stakes Monday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I have really no idea,” Watt said. “Obviously, I know both of these teams extremely well, not only because of my connections but also because we called them multiple times this year. So I’ve seen them both play. I know them intimately.”
Moreover, Watt praised Houston’s defense as “top-tier.”
“The Texans defense is a top, top, top-tier defense,” Watt declared. “Not only this year, I think they’ve done things that are just incredible … Scoring points has been an issue at times for Pittsburgh, and it’s certainly going to be a difficult task tonight.”
That challenge proved too much for Pittsburgh, which suffered its seventh straight playoff loss under Mike Tomlin.
“I don’t necessarily compare it to any other moment,” Tomlin said. “It’s the here and now, and certainly it’s difficult. But that’s what we sign up for. That’s the life we live.”
With the win, the Texans (13-5) move on to face the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round, while the Steelers (10-8) extend their playoff struggles.
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