Leading off as one of the first non-international leaks for the team in 2026, the Houston Texans will travel to Acrisure Stadium in week 13 and face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The contest will be in primetime, as the two will do battle on Sunday Night Football.
The last time these franchises met was in last year's AFC Wildcard round, which saw Houston demolish Pittsburgh to the tune of a 30-6 victory. While Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 250 yards and one touchdown, it was the defense that sparked the route with a performance that included:
- Four sacks
- Eight tackles for loss
- Four passes defended
- 12 quarterback hits
- One fumble recovery (scoop-and-score by DT Sheldon Rankins)
- A 50-yard pick-six (S Calen Bullock)
- Holding quarterback Aaron Rodgers to 146 yards on 17/33 (51.5%) passing (50.8 passer rating)
- Allowing zero touchdowns
It was one of the most breathtakingly dominant displays in the entire postseason, regardless of playing conference. With this scheduling news, Stroud and co. have yet another chance to make an emphatic statement against one of the most storied organizations in the sport.
Texans can make another statement against storied Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are the seventh-oldest franchise in NFL history, and are synonymous with the NFL as a brand and cultural phenomenon. They've produced a litany of hall of famers, won a plethora of championships and have been a model franchise in terms of stability and continuity for almost the last 20 years (head coach Mike Tomlin).
Juxtapose that to the Texans, who are the youngest team in the league (25 years), who have produced only one Hall of Famer and have zero championships in the trophy case. However, historical context notwithstanding, the Texans have gotten the better of the Steelers over the last few years.
From 2014-2020, the Texans lost three straight against the Steelers by a combined score of 92-50. Then, from 2023-2025, Houston returned the favor with two consecutive wins by a combined margin of 60-12 (including AFC Wildcard game in 2025). It's definitely a positive reversal of fortune for the Texans, which the organization will certainly continue to try and ride as much as possible heading into another round with the Steelers this upcoming campaign. Whereas with Pittsburgh, this could be the last ride for the current iteration of the team if the Texans have their way in 2026.
Texans could finish off Steelers and Aaron Rodgers in 2026
At the time of writing, there's still no firm confirmation on the timing of a decision to play signal caller in 2026 from Pittsburgh's NFL legend in Rodgers. After head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down at the conclusion of their season last year, many speculated on whether or not that would mean a complete tear down of the roster at the same time.
So far, the team is still mainly intact, as defensive end T.J. Watt, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and wide receiver D.K. Metcalf all still help comprise the nucleus of the team. But make no mistake, if the Texans manage to once again dominate the Steelers at a time where they're genuinely trying to make a deep playoff run in the AFC, it could potentially speed up the process of opting for a rebuild in Pennsylvania this offseason. Especially if a Houston victory exposes critical flaws in Pittsburgh's on-field operations at such a late of a time as week 13.
Nothing is guaranteed, but it's exciting to see Houston have another chance to take down Pittsburgh on their home turf, and perhaps even help usher in a new era of youthful dominance in the NFL.
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