After a thrilling upset over the Baltimore Ravens during the final game of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been crowned champions of the AFC North. As the no. 4 seed in the AFC, Pittsburgh will host the no. 5 seeded Houston Texans in the first round of the NFL Playoffs.
Houston's playoff chances looked bleak after Week 3, but a 12-2 finish propelled the Texans to the top Wild Card spot in the AFC. Houston will come into Pittsburgh after finishing the regular season on an eight-game winning streak.
The Texans have not lost a game since November 2nd when they fell to the now no. 1 seed in the AFC: the Denver Broncos. Four out of the five losses for the Texans were to playoff teams and the one that wasn't came at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who narrowly lost the NFC South.
One might ask, how did the Texans get so hot? Houston possesses the NFL's top ranked defense, as opponents averaged less than 280 total yards against them all season. There were only three instances this season where Houston allowed 27 or more points.
DeMeco Ryans and the Texans are living and dying by the motto that "defenses win championships." Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley, and Will Anderson Jr. will look to continue this unbelievable stretch they have been on since November.
Pittsburgh came away with an unbelievable finish over the Baltimore Ravens to secure their spot in the playoffs. Led by 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers will host their first playoff game since the 2020 season. In addition, Pittsburgh will look to win their first playoff game since the 2016 season.
Unlike the Texans, the Steelers started off the regular season on a roll after going 4-1 through their first five games. However, their midseason struggles took a toll on them, but they were able to win four of their last five games to clinch a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season.
DK Metcalf will make his return to the Steelers after sitting out the previous 2 games due to a suspension. Metcalf will provide a huge boost for this Steelers offense and I wouldn't be surprised if he provides Pittsburgh with some game changing plays.
The NFL Playoffs have arrived, and they have left us nothing but great matchups all weekend. Although Pittsburgh and Houston will face off on Monday, the wait will be very much worth it for this cinematic matchup.
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