Steelers Potential Divisional Round Opponent Finalized

The Pittsburgh Steelers now know what team awaits in the divisional round. Now, all they have to do is beat the Houston Texans.

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin warms up for a game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers now have their potential opponent for the divisional round in the AFC's playoff bracket. All that's left to do is defeat the Houston Texans at home in the wild card round on Jan. 12.

Should the Steelers win, they will head north to Foxborough, Mass. to face the 14-3 New England Patriots — a team they have already beaten in enemy territory back in Week 3 of the regular season.

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after the game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Patriots handled business against the Los Angeles Chargers, defeating their road opponent 16-3 and forcing a whopping six sacks.

But before looking too far ahead at the potential divisional round matchup, Pittsburgh must focus on the task at hand against the Texans because there's no guarantee of a playoff win.

Steelers' Recent Uninspiring Playoff History

The Steelers have lost their last five playoff games, dating back to the 2017 season. The four most recent losses came in the wild card round.

This is the third consecutive year that the Steelers have made a playoff berth, but they have been outscored by a combined 59-31 in their last two postseason losses.

The last wild card game Pittsburgh hosted was the embarrassing 48-37 loss to the Cleveland Browns during the 2020 season.

Jan 10, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) walks off the field after throwing an interception to Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Sione Takitaki (not pictured) in the fourth quarter of an AFC Wild Card playoff game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

If the Steelers were to get past Houston, it would be their first appearance in the divisional round since the 45-42 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 playoffs, when the Steelers had a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed.

The last home playoff win for the Steelers came in the 30-12 rout over the Miami Dolphins during the 2016 season. Pittsburgh went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in the divisional round, then lost in the AFC Conference Championship 36-17 to the Patriots in New England — the same Patriots team that made the infamous 28-3 comeback over the Atlanta Falcons to win Super Bowl 51.

What to Expect From Steelers vs. Texans

The Steelers are running into a buzzsaw of a Texans team that has not lost a game since the beginning of November. Pair that with a defense that allows the fewest yards in the NFL and ranks second in points allowed on a per-game basis, and Houston is one formidable foe.

The good news for Pittsburgh is that star wideout DK Metcalf will return after serving his two-game suspension, and although Houston's defense will be challenging, its offense is average, at best, in every major statistical category.

Dec 21, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) tackles Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Steelers will likely be forced into piecing together long, grueling drives with each possession. Every aspect of the offense will need to be at its best, starting with the offensive line protecting Aaron Rodgers by limiting the Texans' elite edge rushers in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, to establishing the ground game and breaking apart Houston's stiff secondary, led by Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.

On the other side of the ball, the Steelers must limit the Texans' connection between quarterback C.J. Stroud and his favorite target, Nico Collins, plus stuffing the run against Woody Marks and Nick Chubb.

It will be a challenging matchup for the Steelers, but the home field advantage with over 68,000 fans and blistering cold weather could be enough to push them past the Texans and give them a chance at their first-ever postseason win in New England.

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