- WHERE: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
- WHEN: 8 p.m. ET
- HOW TO WATCH: ESPN/ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, NFL+
By the skin of their teeth (and the width of a missed kick), the Steelers are back in the playoffs. They'll meet a stingy opponent in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
For all of their offensive struggles, the Houston Texans remain an imposing force in the AFC because of a relentless defense that strikes fear in the hearts of the opposition. Their SWARM defense -- an acronym created by head coach DeMeco Ryans that stands for special work ethic and relentless mindset -- has lived up to the mantra in 2025, posting the lowest average yards allowed per game (277.2) in the NFL and narrowly missing out on finishing as the league's best scoring defense at 17.4 points per game allowed. The unit has carried Houston back to the postseason, where the Texans hope to advance beyond the Divisional Round for the first time in franchise history after falling to Baltimore and Kansas City in each of the last two seasons. In order to get there, they must first clear Pittsburgh on the prime-time stage.
The Steelers, meanwhile, can thank their lucky stars and one inaccurate swing of a leg for their playoff berth. Add Aaron Rodgers into the mix, too; he's stabilized the Steelers' offense and piloted the team toward success when lesser signal-callers would have crumbled. The 42-year-old quarterback whom many expect to retire after the season has one more guaranteed NFL start ahead of him. Any additional appearances must be earned.
Three must-know storylines
1) DK Metcalf returns to Steelers offense
At long last, Pittsburgh seemed to be hitting its stride offensively in Week 14 and finally opened up the air attack by relying on its big-bodied go route master Metcalf in a 27-22 win over Baltimore. Two weeks later, Metcalf got into an altercation with a fan in Detroit and was suspended for the final two games, robbing Rodgers of his best target. Since then, the Steelers have trudged through a six-point output in an upset loss to the Browns -- which included a goal-to-go scenario in which they certainly could have used Metcalf for a back-corner fade -- and edged past the Ravens in Week 18 in a game in which running back Kenneth Gainwell finished as Pittsburgh's leading receiver. Simply, the Steelers need Metcalf and will be ecstatic to welcome him back at the perfect time when they face the NFL's top defense that includes an elite corner in Derek Stingley Jr.. The Steelers WR owns a three-inch height advantage over Stingley, but that alone doesn't guarantee he'll find success. His presence, however, increases the Steelers' chances of finding some; Houston cannot simply load the box to stop running back Jaylen Warren (or Gainwell) with Metcalf also on the field.
2) Houston's offensive line is facing quite a challenge
The Texans' story in 2024 centered on their beleaguered offensive line, an obvious weakness Houston attempted to address in 2025 but never quite figured out entirely. The unit is better than it was last season -- C.J. Stroud has taken only 23 sacks after going down 52 times in 2024 -- and Stroud isn't making as many pressure-related mistakes as he did a year ago; however, they're still far from a rock-solid unit when it comes to pass protection. The running game isn't a well-oiled operation, either: Houston ranks 22nd in rushing yards per game and the team's leading rusher, rookie Woody Marks, is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. If there's an area in which the Steelers can capitalize, it's with their front seven, a group that includes a rather deep pass-rushing corps headlined by T.J. Watt (who returned from a lung injury in Week 18) and should be able to find success on third-and-long. If the Texans need points late, it's going to be an uphill battle. They'll have to focus on getting the ball out quickly and control time of possession, or hope their defense can help them win the field position battle and take some of the load off their offense in order to have the best chance to win.
3) Defensive battle could come down to kickers
On paper, Houston owns a slight offensive advantage, but observers of both teams will admit neither boasts an explosive attack. Houston has the edge defensively, meaning we could be in for a low-scoring affair in Pittsburgh -- which also means the outcome might rely heavily on the right feet of Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell and Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn. In a typical year, that wouldn't be an issue for Steelers fans; Boswell has been ultra reliable over the course of his 11 seasons in Pittsburgh. But Boswell posted his lowest field goal conversion percentage (84.4) since 2022 this season, and although it didn't end up hurting them, Steelers fans might still have visions of Boswell's missed extra point that opened the door for the Ravens to nearly win in Week 18's de facto AFC North title game. Fairbairn, meanwhile, has been absolute nails in 2025, proving to be one of the most reliable point producers on the Texans roster by routinely drilling kicks attempted at or near the edge of his range. Inside of 50 yards, he's a perfect 35 for 35 this season and has posted a 91.7 conversion rate overall (his four misses came from 50-plus yards, but he's converted 9 of 13 such attempts). It's not the most seductive note in a playoff game, but we all know these games can often rest on the foot of a kicker -- and we're in for a battle of stalwarts on Monday night.
Texans' Wild Card Weekend injury report
Steelers' Wild Card Weekend injury report
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