DeMeco Ryans Reacts to Texans Facing Steelers in Wild Card

With the conclusion of Week 18 officially in the books, the Houston Texans now know they'll be up against the Pittsburgh Steelers for their Wild Card game in the AFC as the 4-5 matchup, hoping to take ahold of their third-straight Wild Card Round victory since DeMeco Ryans has taken the keys as head coach back in 2023.

But, while the Texans might open this one as road favorites against a Steelers team that was a Tyler Loop-made field goal away from missing the postseason altogether, it's clear that Ryan won't be overlooking the challenge that lies ahead of them, especially for the tall task that any Mike Tomlin-coached team can bring on any given week.

"We're excited for the matchup versus the Steelers; really a great team," Ryans said ahead of Wild Card Weekend. "Nothing but a ton of respect for Coach Tomlin, success that he's had in the league, how he's done that for such a long time."

"He's a guy who I’ve definitely always looked up to, always respected," Ryans said of Tomlin. "He's always got his team ready to go, well coached, physical, and they're going to play tough. It’s cool to see how they won that game last night [vs. the Ravens]. It was just pure will, determination, and they found a way to win; they had things go their way. Aaron's done a good job there with the quarterback position. The defense has always played tough. So we're excited about the opportunity."

DeMeco Ryans Not Overlooking Steelers in Wild Card Round

It'll be the Texans' first time matching up against the Steelers in a non-preseason game since October of 2023, a game that Houston wound up coming out on top in, 30-6; the only time that Mike Tomlin has ever faced Ryans during his tenure as head coach.

Now, Ryans will be looking to raise that all-time record against the Steelers to 2-0 as the Texans' head coach, extend Houston's league-high win streak to what would be ten consecutive games, and cement a third-straight win in the Wild Card round to his already-strong resume in the process.

Dec 27, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans questions a call during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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The Texans might have the edge on paper defensively––as they could easily have in each of their games from here on out––and their offense, while far from perfect, has been showcasing steady growth across recent weeks. But the Steelers still might not be one easily walked over.

They'll have T.J. Watt back from his lingering lung injury along with an additional game against the Ravens to get right, a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers that can't be counted out in any game, regular season or post, and with DK Metcalf returning from his latest two-game extension, Pittsburgh will have some reinforcements on the offensive side of the ball at quite possibly the perfect time.

Yet, the Texans have been up against steeper challenges earlier in their turbulent season, and now with 12 wins to their name, have all the confidence they need rolling into the postseason action, where just three more wins lift them to their first-ever Super Bowl in franchise history.

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