ClutchPoints
The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting the Houston Texans to close out Wild Card weekend. And while most observers believe the Texans’ ferocious defense will dominate the game, Pittsburgh has made standout defensive plays to keep the contest close.
The Steelers struck first, getting on the board with Chris Boswell’s 32-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. Houston responded with a promising drive, working the ball to Pittsburgh’s 40-yard line. Then the Texans dipped into their bag of tricks and disaster followed.
Woody Marks took the handoff before pitching the ball back to CJ Stroud. But the Steelers weren’t fooled by the flea flicker. Jack Sawyer fought through a block and got to Stroud, knocking the ball out of his hand. Yahya Black recovered the fumble and Pittsburgh took over near midfield.
CJ Stroud fumbles on the trick play and the Steelers have the ball pic.twitter.com/s1CNvBZHGo
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 13, 2026
Two of the Texans’ first four drives ended in turnovers. Stroud fumbled four times in the first half, losing two. He would then add an interception early in the third quarter after Houston drove down to Pittsburgh’s 14-yard line.
The Steelers offense couldn’t do much with the three turnovers created by the defense. Pittsburgh did add another first-half field goal after Stroud’s second lost fumble of the game. But the team wasted an excellent opportunity after recovering the ball deep in Texans territory. The ensuing Steelers drive spanned four yards in eight plays and Pittsburgh was once again forced to call on Boswell.
The Steelers have DK Metcalf back after the wideout served a two-game suspension at the end of the regular season. But TJ Watt and the defense will have to step up against Houston if the team hopes to win its first playoff game in nine years.
The red-hot Texans closed out the regular season with a nine-game winning streak, improving to 12-5 and earning the No. 5 seed. However, Mike Tomlin has a remarkable streak of his own. The veteran coach is 12-0 in Monday night games at home. And the Steelers have won 23 straight MNF games played in Pittsburgh dating back to 1992.
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