Texans stifle Aaron Rodgers and the
Steelers 30-6 for franchise's 1st road playoff win
[January 13, 2026]
By WILL GRAVES
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sheldon Rankins is well-versed in the Houston
Texans' nondescript playoff history. The veteran defensive tackle is
hell-bent on writing a different ending this time.
And he's hardly alone. The NFL's best defense is eager to prove it's
a unit capable of winning a championship.
So far, so dominant and so, so good.
Rankins returned a fumble by Aaron Rodgers 33 yards for a touchdown
early in the fourth quarter to break open a tight game, and the
Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night for the
first road playoff win in franchise history.
“We're here for it all,” Rankins said after Houston (13-5) won its
10th straight game. “I won't sugarcoat it, won't dance around that
topic. We're here for the whole thing.”
The next step comes Sunday at New England (15-3), where the Texans
will try to reach the AFC Championship game for the first time.
If Houston can replicate what it did at chilly Acrisure Stadium, it
might get there. The Texans limited Pittsburgh (10-8) to 175 total
yards, including 81 in the second half. Coach DeMeco Ryans called it
the best defensive performance in the franchise's 24-year history.
“Every time we go out there, we show (we're the best),” said Houston
cornerback Calen Bullock, who picked off what might be the final
pass of Rodgers' Hall of Fame career and raced 50 yards for the
final score. “We went out there and showed it today. I don't think
they even scored a touchdown.”
No, they didn't. The Steelers managed just a pair of first-half
field goals by Chris Boswell to lose at home on a Monday night for
the first time since 1991. Pittsburgh and coach Mike Tomlin have now
dropped seven straight playoff games, with Tomlin tying former
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis for the longest postseason losing skid in
NFL history.
“I don't necessarily compare it to any other moment,” Tomlin said.
“It's the here and now, and certainly it's difficult. But that's
what we sign up for. That's the life we live.”
C.J. Stroud turned it over three times but also threw a first-half
touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, who had eight catches for 144
yards. Woody Marks had 112 yards rushing for Houston, which had been
0-6 on the road in the postseason.
“It's all about moving forward and trying your best to flush it and
keep going,” Stroud said. “Every time we had to bounce back, we made
more plays.”
Marks' 13-yard touchdown run with 3:43 to go sealed it, and Bullock
got his pick-6 less than a minute later.
Rodgers passed for just 146 yards in the final game of his 21st
season. Whether there's a 22nd is anyone's guess. The four-time MVP
will take some time before deciding whether to return next fall.
While Rodgers' play down the stretch was one of the reasons the
Steelers won the AFC North, he struggled in much the same way as his
predecessors, Russell Wilson and Mason Rudolph, did.
“I'm not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I'm
disappointed. Obviously, it was such a fun year. A lot of adversity
but a lot of fun.”
More adversity than fun in the end. Rodgers' final pass of the night
was a forced downfield throw that Bullock stepped in front of, and
Rodgers tried and failed to tackle Bullock on the way to the end
zone.
[to top of second column] |
Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins runs to the end zone
for a touchdown after recovering a fumble during the second half of
an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh
Steelers, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin
Berl)
The Steelers’ defense, long the biggest problem
during a playoff victory drought that is nearing a decade, forced
Stroud into numerous mistakes and kept Pittsburgh in the game until
late.
The result, however, was the same as it has been for the Steelers
and Tomlin since they fell to New England in the 2016 AFC
championship game, with a long walk to the locker room and a
longer-than-hoped-for offseason to figure out what went wrong.
Houston’s victory was hardly a thing of beauty, as a thrilling
opening weekend of the playoffs ended with a rock fight between
clubs trying to shed some ignominious playoff history.
The Texans survived the way they have much of the season, by letting
the league's best defense smother their opponent.
The Steelers failed to capitalize on the miscues from a jittery
Stroud, who fumbled twice and threw a pick. Pittsburgh scored just
three points off those turnovers.
Not even the return of wide receiver DK Metcalf from a two-game
suspension for making contact with a fan in Detroit helped. Metcalf
finished with two catches for 42 yards and had a critical drop that
cost the Steelers a chance to extend a 3-0 lead.
The Texans gathered themselves after an iffy start and took a 7-6
lead when Stroud finished off a 16-play, 92-yard drive by flipping a
pass to Kirk for a 4-yard touchdown.
Unlike a heart-stopping fourth-quarter rally against Baltimore that
earned them their first AFC North title since 2020, this time there
was no late-game magic from Rodgers or his teammates.
While Tomlin, the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, is all but assured of
returning for a 20th season if he wants — even if there were chants
for his firing in the final moments — Pittsburgh heads into yet
another offseason in search of a quarterback and answers to a
playoff drought whose weight seems to grow by the year.
Houston, meanwhile, heads to New England as the hottest team in the
NFL with a quarterback who will be eager for a chance at a reprieve
and a defense that can keep a game close against any opponent.
Injuries
Texans: WRs Nico Collins and Justin Watson both went into the
concussion protocol in the second half. S Jaylen Reed (forearm), who
was activated off injured reserve early Monday, left briefly in the
first quarter with a knee injury.
Up next
Texans: Face the Patriots for the first time this season.
Steelers: The NFL draft, which Pittsburgh is hosting in late April.
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