But the Steelers couldn’t turn the fumble recovery into points. Corliss Waitman punted and pinned the Texans back at their 8-yard line, from where they embarked on a 92-yard drive that culminated in Stroud’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk. With 8:28 left in the first half, the Texans held a 7-3 lead.
Stroud turned the ball over again in Texans territory, this time on a strip sack by nose tackle Keeanu Benton. T.J. Watt recovered the fumble and Boswell kicked a 35-yard field goal with 1:57 left and the Texans went into halftime locker room holding a 7-6 lead.
The Texans opened the second half with gains of 16, 14, 14, and 9 and reached the Pittsburgh 14 for a third-and-4 play. Stroud, under pressure, threw a pass to Xavier Hutchinson that was intercepted by a diving Brandin Echols at the Pittsburgh 4. The play saved the Steelers at least three points as they took their first possession of the second half.
The Steelers pushed off their own goal line with a 21-yard reception by Adam Thielen, but couldn’t advance further. Waitman’s 57-yard punt did flip the field, as the 7-6 game moved into the fourth quarter.
While Joey Porter Jr. was shutting down Nico Collins (3 catches, 21 yards), who left late in the third quarter with a concussion, the Steelers had no answer for Christian Kirk (8 catches, 144 yards). His 46-yard reception on third-and-15 put him over the 100-yard mark and gave the Texans a first down at the Pittsburgh 36. But the Steelers held the Texans to a 51-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn, and with 13:07 to play the Texans led by 10-6.
The Texans made it 17-6 less than two minutes later when Rodgers was sacked by Will Anderson and fumbled. The ball was recovered by Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and returned 33 yards for a touchdown with 11:16 left.