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CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans are on their way to the AFC Divisional Round after blowing out the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in the Wild Card Round on Monday night.
Going into the playoffs, the Texans enjoyed an incredible turnaround in the 2025 regular season. Despite starting the campaign 0-3, Houston went 12-2 for the rest of the season to clinch a playoff berth and secure the fifth seed in the AFC bracket.
They set up a date with the Steelers, who earned the AFC North Division title in the final week of the regular season. Both squads possessed defenses that can test one another, which was the case for most of the Wild Card duel.
The score was only 7-6 going into the fourth quarter, but Houston blew the game wide open by scoring the last 23 points of the night to send Pittsburgh home and advance to the next round.
The Texans continue to assert their defensive dominance as they torched the Steelers in the fourth quarter.
Defense was the name of the game throughout the first three quarters, only seeing 13 total points from both teams. The last 15 minutes of regulation saw the real winners come alive as Houston exploded with one offensive touchdown and two defensive scores.
CJ Stroud had a tough start but made enough plays to get the job done for the offense. He completed 21 passes out of 32 attempts for 250 yards and a touchdown and an interception.
Woody Marks carved up the Steelers’ run defense, racking up 19 rushes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Christian Kirk dominated in the air, making eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Sheldon Rankins and Calen Bullock were the defenders to score touchdowns for Houston.
The Texans will look forward to the next chapter of their playoff journey. They remain on the road as they face the two-seed New England Patriots on Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. ET.
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