No two teams had to wait longer for their postseason to begin than the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, waiting and watching five other games before getting their chance to show America what they\u2019re about. Monday night arrived, and ultimately it was the Texans who showed out, doing what they\u2019ve done all year, smothering their opponent defensively, particularly in the fourth quarter,\u00a0 and coming away with a bruising 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Texans earned their first road playoff win in franchise history. DeMeco Ryans became the fifth head coach in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first three seasons as a head coach. Ryans and C.J. Stroud are just the second head coach and quarterback combination to win a playoff game in their first three seasons together as a first time head coach and rookie quarterback.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In short, this wasn\u2019t just your normal playoff win. The Texans were a three point favorite on the road, and proved that they deserved that shine. Now, it\u2019s onto New England to vanquish some more demons, this Sunday at 2 p.m. Here are your winners and losers from Monday night\u2019s win:\u00a0<\/p>\n
WINNERS<\/p>\n
4. Defensive touchdowns\u00a0<\/p>\n
Throughout most of the night, the Texans were able to move the ball, but C.J. Stroud kept taking dead aim at his big toe, with horrific turnovers. In a game where they should have been leading by 17 to 20 points, they were leading 10-6 early in the fourth quarter. Thankfully, the Texans\u2019 defense said \u201cScrew this, we\u2019ll go score!\u201d Sheldon Rankins scooped up an Aaron Rodgers fumble and rumbled into the end zone to make it 17-6, and Calen Bullock closed out the scoring with a pick six to provide the final margin at 30-6. It was the fourth pick six for the Texans in three wild card round games under DeMeco Ryans.<\/p>\n
3. Nick Caley<\/p>\n
This was Nick Caley\u2019s finest hour as Texans\u2019 offensive coordinator. Period. On the drive that got the Texans their first touchdown of the game \u2014 14 plays, 92 yards \u2014 Caley smelled blood in the water, and began pounding the Steelers\u2019 defense with their run game (more on that in a moment). In the second half, when the Texans needed a clock killing drive to put the Steelers away, Caley orchestrated an 11 play, 87 yard drive that ended in a Woody Marks touchdown. For anyone wishing the playoffs would somehow put Caley on the chopping block, the opposite happened on Monday night.<\/p>\n
2. Woody Marks, Nick Chubb, and the offensive line \u00a0<\/p>\n
Caley was pushing the buttons, but it was the offensive line clearing the holes, and it was Woody Marks and Nick Chubb bringing the hammer. The two combined for 29 carries and gained 160 yards. Marks ran with ferocity, and Chubbb bludgeoned the Steelers like a rival that he\u2019d played twice a year for his whole career to this point (which he had while he was a Cleveland Brown). This defensive line they did this against is no joke. They have two Hall of Famers, and the Texans dominated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1. Christian Kirk\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Texans brought Kirk in from Jacksonville on a trade for a seventh round pick, with the caveat that they had to inherit the remaining $16 million year on his contract. Up until Monday night, the decision had not really panned out, as Kirk had just 28 catches in 13 games, for a meager 239 yards. On Monday night, Kirk was a game saver for the Texans, with a team playoff record 144 yards on eight catches, including a massive 46 yard catch on 3rd and 15 from the Texans\u2019 18 yard line late in the third quarter. Kirk was worth every penny of that salary on Monday night.<\/p>\n
LOSERS<\/p>\n
4. Steelers reputed toughness<\/p>\n
I was told by Steeler fans that there were two things the Texans would not be able to stand up to \u2014 the weather and the blue collar Steeler toughness. Steeler fans were wrong on both fronts. The weather appeared to cause no issues, unless you believe the cold climate caused Stroud\u2019s five fumbles. As for the blue collar toughness of the Steelers, the Texans offensive line spent most of the night shoving the Steelers defensive front around like they were junior high kids. The Texans averaged 5.3 yards per carry and ran at will on their two long touchdown drives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3. Nico Collins\u2019 brain\u00a0<\/p>\n
Okay, now we get into some things that could be a problem for the Texans as they head to New England. First, Nico Collins is concussed now for the second time this season. This one looked bad, as he was dumped on his head while getting tangled up with Steelers CB Joey Porter. Collins was carted off, and had a towel over his head and face. If Collins can\u2019t go on Sunday, then the Texans will need to lean into the fact that C.J. Stroud had his best game as a pro in Week 8\u2019s win over the Niners, with no Nico Collins. However, counting on Stroud right now may be a bit dicey\u2026..<\/p>\n
2. C.J. Stroud<\/p>\n
\u2026..as he almost single-handedly lost the game for the Texans last night, with his three turnovers. Stroud lost two fumbles on some amateur hour decision making in the pocket, and threw an equally amateurish interception in the red zone on the team\u2019s first possession of the second half. In all, Stroud fumbled five times (losing the two aforementioned turnovers). I\u2019d like to think this was just a bad night at the office, but it was incredibly jarring.<\/p>\n
1. Aaron Rodgers<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re an Aaron Rodgers hater, a hobby I\u2019ve dabbled in front time to time, last night was Christmas for you. There were plenty of people thinking Rodgers could dial it back up for one more big playoff run, but those people obviously had not watched the Houston Texans\u2019 defense. Now, the talk is that Aaron Rodgers will call it a career, which means the final pass of his career was the pick six to Calen Bullock.\u00a0<\/p>\n