Three Bold Predictions for Texans' WIld Card Game vs. Steelers

The Houston Texans have their long-awaited playoff matchup on deck for Monday Night Football against the AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers for the final of a six-game playoff slate around the league, making up for one of the best Wild Card slates in recent NFL history, yet leaves just one more showdown to finalize the eight teams to advance for this year's divisional round.

If this one is anything like the other five games to transpire before the Texans' action, then there's bound to be a few surprises in store. Four of those five games have finished within a margin of one score to make for some high-energy fourth quarter moments throughout the weekend, and three of those victories stemmed from the visiting team.

If the Texans come out on top, they'd make for the fourth team to win on the road in this year's postseason slate, and for themselves, carve out a third-consecutive Wild Card victory since DeMeco Ryans took over in the 2023 offseason.

Will Houston be able to pull it off to advance to a date against the New England Patriots? With the way the Texans have been playing rolling into the postseason, that's most certainly in play.

Here are three bold predictions for how the action could unfold for the Texans and Steelers on Monday Night Football:

1. Jayden Higgins Scores Early for Houston

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) walks on the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Texans and their passing offense will be going against a cornerback in Joey Porter Jr. that hasn't allowed a touchdown in coverage for the past 1,467 snaps; a matchup that Houston's star wideout, Nico Collins, could face pretty frequently throughout the day in Pittsburgh.

Therefore, that'll place some added responsibility on the plates of Houston's other explosive playmakers to get a few looks in the end zone when within range––and there might not be a better target to hone in on than second-round rookie Jayden Higgins, who's gradually nestled his way into becoming a top-three pass-catcher in the Texans' offense, and the top wide receiver targeted outside of Collins.

Higgins has proven to be a valuable red zone target all season, having secured six regular-season touchdowns, including one this past weekend against the Indianapolis Colts. With confidence building, and perhaps even a favorable matchup, a second score in two weeks could be well within reason.

2. Aaron Rodgers Throws Pair of Interceptions

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) reacts before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Maybe it's a poor idea to bet against the Hall of Fame talent that Rodgers is in a playoff game where his Super Bowl hopes are backed against the wall, but there's a real case to be made that the Texans defense gives the Steelers and their scoring unit real trouble throughout the night in Pittsburgh.

The Texans' defense feeds off of the short-passing game, allowing some of the league's lowest numbers defending passes 10 yards or fewer throughout the season, an area that Rodgers and the Steelers' offense predicates a ton of their offensive scheme around. Against a matchup like Houston's number-one-ranked defense, though, there could be mistakes to be made, even for an experienced signal-caller like Rodgers.

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Don't be shocked if Rodgers gets picked off not once, but twice on his home field, thanks to the versatile, havoc-wreaking unit of a secondary that the Texans are bound to roll out.

3. Texans Win By Two Scores or More

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) is introduced before playing against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

If the Texans can control the pace of this game with their elite defense and pin down this Steelers scoring attack by shutting down the run and short passes, there's a chance this one could get ugly by the time the action reaches the fourth quarter.

That, of course, does rely on the Texans' offense holding up their end of the bargain on the road in a tough, cold environment in Pittsburgh to complement their dominating defense. But Houston and their scoring unit, led by C.J. Stroud, have faced similar challenges and have overcome them this season already.

The last time this team scored fewer than 20 points in a single game, it was with Davis Mills against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11. The last time that happened with C.J. Stroud under center for a full game, it was in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks. This offense, and perhaps more importantly, their protection for C.J. Stroud, is clicking at the right time, which bodes well for their chances in the Wild Card.

Both sides of the ball for Houston hold some real momentum, having won their past nine games, and if that's able to carry into the playoffs, a comfortable win could be in the cards in order to advance them further for their Super Bowl aspirations.

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