Steelers vs. Texans Bold Predictions: Playoff Streak Finally Ends

After sneaking into the playoffs with a thrilling win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 that featured one of the craziest endings to a game in recent memory, it feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing with house money this postseason.

Pittsburgh will cap off the NFL's Wild Card weekend with a primetime showdown at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 12 against the Houston Texans, who finished the regular season on a nine-game win streak while going 12-5 overall.

The Texans boast an elite defense that features perhaps the best edge rusher tandem in the league with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., but the Steelers stand a solid chance of pulling off the upset victory and snapping their six-game postseason losing streak.

With that, here are five bold predictions for the impending playoff bout between the two sides.

Steelers Withstand Texans' Pass Rush

As mentioned above, Houston is relentless when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Hunter and Anderson logged a combined 17 sacks while both ranking in the top five for total pressures, per Pro Football Focus, with 83 and 93, respectively.

The duo is a major reason why the Texans held teams to a league-low 277.2 yards and 17.4 points per game, which registered as the second-best mark behind the Seattle Seahawks.

The Steelers, however, have largely kept Aaron Rodgers clean recently, evidenced by the fact that they allowed just nine pressures vs. Baltimore last week and eight against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 on four sacks over that span.

The offensive line will have its hands full, and Houston is likely going to get home on multiple occasions, but Pittsburgh is strong enough up front to not allow it to ruin its game plan.

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) scores a touchdown in the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

DK Metcalf Returns with a Bang

The Steelers sorely missed Metcalf while he served a two-game suspension for a fan altercation at Ford Field in Week 16.

The offense faltered during his absence vs. Cleveland, and though the team took down the Ravens while Rodgers threw for a season-high 291 yards, it's clear that they need their top wide receiver in order to have any semblance of a chance to make a run in these playoffs.

Rodgers will certainly be looking Metcalf's way a ton now that he's officially been reinstated, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if he were to eclipse the 100-yard mark with a touchdown against the Texans as he makes up for lost time.

Pittsburgh Takes Advantage of Texans' O-Line

Houston's offensive line has taken some steps forward as the year has gone along, but make no mistake: the unit is still a weakness.

Though the Texans aren't a complete disaster in that regard, keeping C.J. Stroud upright could prove tough now that the postseason has arrived.

With T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig rushing off the edge while the Steelers could get contributions from the interior of their defensive line as well, they will be too much to handle for Houston up front and finish with four sacks.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (95) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Hold Texans Offense At Bay

Houston's offense, having averaged 23.8 points and 327.0 yards per contest this year, but it's not a group that should be able to drive down the field with ease vs. Pittsburgh.

Stroud is capable of turning in a huge performance alongside wide receiver Nico Collins, and he already has four games of playoff experience under his belt across just three years in the league, but the Texans are essentially one-dimensional offensively considering they averaged just 3.9 yards per rushing attempt during the regular season.

Houston topped the 23-point mark just twice after Week 10, and one of those instances came against an Indianapolis Colts squad that had nothing to play for in Week 18.

Expect the Steelers' defense to have the upper hand and limit what the Texans' offense can do throughout the contest.

Pittsburgh Finally Snaps Playoff Losing Streak

As previously noted, Pittsburgh has not won a postseason contest in its last six tries, with that streak beginning in the 2016 AFC Championship Game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Is this Steelers team capable of pulling off a miracle run all the way to the Super Bowl or even the championship game? Probably not, but that doesn't mean they can't exorcise their recent playoff demons to some extent.

The Texans are perhaps the hottest team in the league and are a formidable opponent, but Pittsburgh will send them home early with a 21-17 win and move on to the Divisional round.

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