PITTSBURGH -- The Houston Texans won their first road playoff game in franchise history, dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The Texans' defense held the Steelers offense to 175 yards, scored two touchdowns and harassed future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers-led teams have been held under 20 points in a playoff game just once in 21 prior starts, a 13-10 loss in the 2022 divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers that was the signal-caller's last playoff game with Green Bay.
Houston's offense left a lot to be desired until the fourth quarter, starting with the quarterback C.J. Stroud's three turnovers on the evening.
Still, the Texans finished with 408 yards, and the rushing attack was effective, with rookie Woody Marks recording his first 100-yard rushing performance.
The Texans will now face the New England Patriots on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) in the divisional round.
Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:
No. 5 Houston Texans
Trend to watch: The Texans' rushing attack was potent, as it finished with 164 yards. Marks led the charge and finished with 112 rushing yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. If Houston, which averaged 108.9 rushing yards in the regular season (22nd) can get over 150 yards on the ground, their chances elevate that much more behind that defense.
Most surprising performance: Kirk had his first 100-yard performance of the campaign by finishing with 144 yards and a touchdown. He never had more than 64 yards in the regular season and hadn't registered a 100-yard receiving game since Nov. 12, 2023. He was the best offensive playmaker on Monday night.
Turning point: Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins returned a Rodgers fumble for a touchdown. The Texans were up only 10-6 at that point, but that fumble recovery allowed Houston to take a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, when offensive touchdowns were hard to come by. -- D.J. Bien-Aime
No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers
QB breakdown: Though his clutch fourth-quarter play a week ago helped the Steelers to the playoffs, Rodgers was mauled by the Texans' defense. The usual plan of throwing short and letting his playmakers pick up the extra yards wasn't nearly as effective against the sure-tackling Texans. Rodgers also was sacked four times, including once in the first half as he tripped and went down after a good rep by left tackle Dylan Cook. And in the second half, Rodgers was hammered by Rankins and Will Anderson Jr.; with Rankins' scoop and score sealing the rock fight. On the next drive, Rodgers again tripped into a sack after completing an 18-yard pass to Pat Freiermuth, and the drive stalled at midfield. For all the highs of Rodgers' campaign in Pittsburgh, his final performance was rough.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Running the ball on first down in the first three quarters. Jaylen Warren ripped off a 10-yard rush on the first play of the game, but that was the most success the Steelers had running the ball on first down until Kenneth Gainwell's 14-yard effort in the fourth quarter against the league's fourth-best rushing defense. Through three quarters, the Steelers ran the ball on first down eight times, gained 21 yards and averaged 2.6 yards. On seven first-down pass plays, however, they gained 62 yards and averaged 8.9 yards.
Stat to know: The Steelers, who had been outscored 73-0 in the first quarters of their previous six playoff losses, led Houston 3-0 after the first quarter. It marked the first time the Steelers have been ahead entering the second quarter of a playoff contest since their 2016 wild-card game against the Miami Dolphins, whom they led 14-3. Pittsburgh would go on to win 30-12. -- Brooke Pryor
