Texans 30 vs 6 Steelers summary stats, score and highlight | NFL Playoffs AFC Wild Card

This was the final play of Aaron Rodgers season, and quite possibly his career. On 4th and 5 with the game well out of reach he was picked by Calen Bullock who took what might be the future Hall of Famer's final pass of his career back for a TD. 

The Houston Texans are moving on to play the New England Patriots on Sunday from Foxborough while the Steelers lose their seventh straight playoff game and now a long offseason full of franchise changing decisions begin. 

Rookie running back Woody Marks had 112 yards rushing in his first playoff game slicing up the Steelers defense and taking this TD in to the endzone to close the game out late in the fourth quarter. 

This game was still up in the air in the 4th quarter but Rodgers was sacked for a fourth time and this one was taken back to the house by Sheldon Rankins for a scoop and score that put the Texans up 17-6. 

The Texans turned it over for a third time as Stroud was picked off by Brandin Echols, but the Steelers offense couldn't make Houston pay for those mistakes. They had chances to take the lead, but Rodgers and the offense couldn't get anything started all night. 

Aaron Rodgers was under pressure all night long, and had little room or time to operate against this dominant Houston defense. 

Stroud muffed a couple of snaps, and fumbled it a couple of times this one was taken by TJ Watt, but again the Houston defense came to the rescue. They held the Steelers to a field goal and that would be the last time they scored all night. 

The Texans would bounce back and go 92 yards into the end zone to take the lead midway through the second quarter. CJ Stroud may have turned it over three times but he did throw for 250 yards and this TD to Christian Kirk who had 144 yards receiving. 

The Houston Texans are heading to the Divisional Round for the third straight year after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers from Acrisure Stadium. It was a defensive masterclass from the Houston defense which held the Steelers to just six points all night. 

CJ Stroud stuggled to hang on to the ball in Pittsburgh, but his defense came to the rescue after each of his three turnovers. 

IT'S ALL OVER FROM PITTSBURGH!!!

The Texans are moving on to the Divisional Round of the playoffs for the third straight year. 

Warren up the middle and he picks up 2. 

4th and 2 from the PIT 43. 

Warren up the middle and he picks up 6 yards. 

3rd and 4 from the PIT 41. 

WE ARE HEADING TO THE TWO MINUTE WARNING FROM PITTSBURGH. 

PIT get the ball from their 35 and Warren is stopped for no gain. 

2nd and 10 from the PIT 35. 

Bullock picks off Rodgers and takes it back for a TD and that might be one of the final throws of Rodgers career. 

Rodgers over the middle to Gainwell and he is taken down after a gain of 5 yards. 

3rd and 5 from the PIT 34. 

Screen pass to Gainwell and he drops that short pass. 

3rd and 10 from the PIT 29. 

PIT get the ball from their 29 and Rodgers pass over the middle for Metcalf is batted down at the line. 

2nd and 10 from the PIT 29. 

This should do it for the Steelers this season. Marks runs it in for a 13 yard TD to make it a three score game. 

Chubb to the left side and he takes it for 6 yards and a face mask on PIT is going to give HOU a first down. 

1st and Goal from the 8. 

Chubb was surrounded and went down for a loss of 1. 

2nd and 11 from the PIT 22. 

Chubb up the middle again and he takes it for 9 yards and another first down. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 21. 

Chubb up the middle for a pick up of 5. 

3rd and 3 from the PIT 35. 

Marks to the right side and he gets 2 yards. 

2nd and 8 from the PIT 35. 

Kirk with another big play, this time on the crossing route and he takes it up field for a big gain of 33 yards!

1st and 10 from the PIT 37. 

Chubb to the right side for Chubb and he picks up 4 yards. 

3rd and 4 from the HOU 30. 

Chubb to the left side and he picks up two yards. 

2nd and 8 from the HOU 26. 

Stroud looks left for Higgns and he reels it in for a gain of 9. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 24. 

HOU get the ball back from their 13 and Marks takes the run up the middle for 2 yards. 

2nd and 8 from the HOU 15. 

Rodgers pass was tipped at the line in the face of more heavy pressure. 

4th and 13 from the HOU 48 and they will punt with 9:36 to go. 

Rodgers rolls to the left side for Metcalf but that pass falls incomplete with good coverage around the WR.

3rd and 13 from the HOU 48. 

Rodgers is dropped by Fotu for a loss of 3 yards. 

2nd and 13 from the HOU 48. 

Rodgers over the middle for Freiermuth who raises up and brings it down for a gain of 18. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 45.

Rodgers over the middle for Warren for a gain of 4 yards. 

3rd and 6 from the PIT 37. 

PIT get the ball from their 33 and Rodgers looks down the middle for Freiermuth but that pass was too far out in front of the TE. 

2nd and 10 from the PIT 33. 

The Houston defense might have just won this game with this scoop and score from Rankins. PIT has their work cut out for them with 11:00 to go. 

Gainwell is stuffed in the back field by To'oTo'o for a loss of 2. 

3rd and 12 from the PIT 45. 

Rodgers looking deep for Austin up the left side and Lassiter was there to bat that ball down.

2nd and 10 from the PIT 45. 

PIT get the ball from their 31 and Gainwell takes the counter for a nice gain of 14 yards. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 45. 

FIELD GOAL!!!!

Fairbarin drills a 51 yard field goal to put HOU up by four. 

HOU lead 10-6 with 13:07 to go in the 4th quarter. 

Back shoulder throw for Higgins and that pass was behind the WR. 

4h and 6 from the PIT 32. 

Stroud finds Kirk on the left side for a short gain of 7. 

3rd and 6 from the PIT 32. 

Marks to the right side and he takes it for 7 yards. 

2nd and 13 from the PIT 39. 

Marks took the run for a couple yards but a holding penalty will take HOU back 10 yards. 

1st and 20 from the PIT 46. 

WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER FROM PITTSBURGH!!!

Stroud has time to hang in the pocket and he launches it to the right side for Kirk for a big gain of 46 yards!

1st and 10 from the PIT 36. 

Stroud muffs another snap and he had to fall on the ball on prevent a fumble. 

3rd and 15 from the HOU 18. 

HOU get the ball from their 23 and Stroud looks over the middle for Collins but he couldn't make the catch. He is slow to get up after taking a hard fall. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 23. 

Hunter came off the edge and strip sacked Rodgers but McCormik recovered it for PIT. 

4th and 25 from the PIT 30 and they will punt with 1:37 to go in the third quarter. 

Rodgers was under pressure again and he had to throw it into the dirt again. 

3rd and 11 from the PIT 44. 

Short pass to the right side for Smith and he is wrapped up in the flat for a loss of a yard. 

2nd and 11 from the PIT 44. 

PIT get the ball from theirr 24, and Rodgers to the left side for Theilen and he leaps up and makes the catch for a 21 yard pick up!

1st and 10 from the PIT 45. 

Stroud looks to the right side for Collins but he slipped on the cut to the outside and that pass falls incomplete. 

4th and 10 from their 30 and they will punt with under 4:00 to go int the third quarter. 

Stroud is taken down by Harmon as he tried to tuck it and run but was stopped for no gain. 

3rd and 10 from the HOU 30. 

Marks up the middle for a gain of 2, but Schultz was called for illegal motion. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 30. 

HOU get the ball back from their 30 and Stroud finds Hutchinson with a shallow route and a gain of 5 yards. 

2nd and 5 from the HOU 30. 

Rodgers goes deep down the left side for Austin who feel on his route and looked for a flag but none came. 

4th and 12 from the PIT 27 and they will punt with 5:30 to go. 

Rodgers was under pressure and he had to throw it into the dirt to escape the sack. 

3rd and 12 from the PIT 27. 

Gainwell is taken down for a loss of 2 yards on the run to the left side. 

2nd and 12 from the PIT 27. 

Rodgers looks over the middle and finds MVS for a gain of 14 and the first third down conversion of the night for PIT. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 29. 

Short pass to the left side for Austin for a gain of 6 yards. 

3rd and 9 from the PIT 15. 

After a false start on PIT, a quick throw to Austin and Pitre sniffed it out and dropped him for no gain. 

2nd and 15 from the PIT 9. 

Warren to the left side and he takes it for yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 14. 

PIT get the ball from their 4 and Warren gets 7 yards on the run to the right side. 

2nd and 3 from the PIT 11. 

Stroud with his third turnover of the game. He was off balance and forced it into a place he probably shouldn't have been throwing. 

INTERCEPTION!!!

Stroud was dancing around in the pocket and threw an off balanced pass to Hutchinson but Echols swooped through and made the pick!

PIT ball after the third HOU turnover of the night. 

Stroud with a short pass to Schultz and he is taken down after a short gain of 2. 

3rd and 4 from the PIT 14. 

Marks to he right side and he picks up 4 yards on first down. 

2nd and 6 from the PIT 16. 

Marks up the middle again and he picks up 2 yards and moves the chains. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 20. 

Marks up the middle on the draw and he takes it for 9 yards. 

2nd and 1 from the PIT 22. 

Stroud looks over the middle and finds Higgins again, this time for a gain of 14. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 31. Heyward was injured on the play for PIT. 

Marks up the middle and he finds a hole and takes it for 14 yards. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 41. 

HOU get the ball from their 25 and Stroud rolls out and hits Higgins for 16 yards on the left side. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 41. 

WE ARE BACK IN PITTSBURGH FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!

The Steelers have had a couple possessions start with great field position, but they have gone 0/6 on third down and had to settle for two FGs. Rodgers is 9/15 for 79 yards but still looking to get into the end zone. 

Stroud had the better half passing, but he has given the ball up twice. He's muffed a couple snaps, fumbled twice but the Texans have the lead thanks to the defense. 

The Texans only scoring drive began at their 8 yard line, and 92 yards later it was Stroud hitting Kirk in the end zone for the only TD of the first half. Stroud is 13/20 for 118 yard and this TD. 

It's been a defensive match up from PIttsburgh and the Steelers set the tone with an early turnover, strip sacking CJ Stroud and getting some great field position but they couldn't turn that take away into points. 

WE ARE HEADING TO THE HALFTIME BREAK FROM PITTSBURGH!!!

Stroud to the left side for Schultz and he makes the catch for 4 yards. 

4th and 6 from the HOU 49 and they will punt with 10 seconds to go. 

Stroud's pass to the left side for Marks is jarred out of the hands of the RB after a big hit from Wilson. 

3rd and 10 from the HOU 45. 

Stroud stepped up in the pocket and he had Collins on the right side but that pass was too high for the WR. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 45. 

Stroud over the middle for Kirk for 7 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 45. Timeout HOU with 28 to go, that's their last. 

Stroud takes a shot down the middle for Noel who had it in his hands, but he got rocked by Clark and dropped it. 

3rd and 5 from the HOU 38. 

Stroud finds Stover on the right side with a short pass for a gain of 5 and HOU take a timeout with 45 seconds to go. 

2nd and 5 from the HOU 38. 

Stover under center and he takes the tush push for 5 yards. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 33. 

Stroud looks left for rKirk and he makes the catch for 5 yards. PIT want a TO with 1:07, their first. 

3rd and 1 from the HOU 29. 

HOU get the ball back from their 20 and Marks takes the handoff to the right side for a gain of 4. 

2nd and 6 from the HOU 24. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Boswell hits the 35 yard field goal and he's got a couple of those tonight. 

HOU lead 7-6 with 1:57 to go in the first half. 

WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING FROM PITTBURGH.

Stroud muffed the snap for a second time and for a second time he coughed it up to the Steelers. The HOU defense buckled down and held PIT to just a FG after another giveaway from the Texans QB. 

The pocket collapsed on Rodgers and Anderson is going to get credit for the sack and a loss of 9. 

4th and Goal from the HOU 17. 

Rodgers just threw it away with no one open down the field. 

3rd and Goal from the HOU 8

Warren to the left side and he is stopped after a gain of 1. 

2nd and Goal from the 8. 

PIT keep the offense on the field an Rodgers finds Theilen on the shallow route to the left side for a gain of 4. 

1st and Goal from the PIT 9. 

Rodgers finds Gainwell on the left side and he had some room to take it for 12 yards, but he's short of the marker. 

4th and 2 from the HOU 13. 

Rodgers on the left side for Gainwell and he is dropped by Lassiterr for a loss of 2. 

3rd and 14 from the HOU 25. 

Gainwell gets the pitch to the right side and he is dropped by Pitre for a loss of 2. 

2nd and 12 from the HOU 23. 

FUMBLE!!!

Stroud muffed the snap again, picked it up and tried to throw it away in traffic but it was knocked out of his hands and Watt recovers!

PIT ball from the HOU 21. 

HOU get the ball back from their 19 and Marks picks up 4 yards on the run up the middle. 

2nd and 6 from the HOU 23. 

Rodgers over the middle for Gainwell and took it for 11 yards but he is well short of the marker and the Steelers go three and out with 7:00 to go in the 2nd quarter. 

4th and 10 from the PIT 38. 

Rodgers had Hunter in his face in the blink of an eye and had to throw it away, but he got flagged for intentional grounding. 

3rd and 21 from the PIT 27. 

PIT get the ball from their 38 and Rodgers hits Smith in the flat but he is stopped for no gain. 

2nd and 10 from the PIT 38. 

The Texans just went 92 yards and polished off the drive with a TD catch from Christian Kirk. They take the lead midway through the second quarter in what has looked like a pretty defensive game so far. 

Marks up the middle and he takes it for 8 yards up the middle. 

2nd and 2 from the PIT 5 and Marks was injured on the play. 

Marks to the right side and he gets to the edge and burns up the sideline for a gain of 20. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 13. 

Chubb to the left side and he fights his way for 6 yards. 

2nd and 4 from the PIT 33. 

Chubb up the middle and he moves the chains with a gain of 6 yards. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 39. 

Chubb up the middle and he takes it for 9 yards on first down. 

2nd and 1 from the PIT 45. 

Stroud over the middle for Schultz who had to go to the ground to scoop that ball off the grass. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 46. 

Marks tried to cut back at the line of scrimmage and he was taken down after maybe a yard. 

3rd and 3 from the HOU 39. 

Marks to the left side for a gain of 6 yards on first down. 

2nd and 4 from the HOU 39. 

Stroud over the middle for Collins and he makes the catch for 13 yards. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 33. 

Stroud was under pressure again, and this time his pass to Schultz was over thrown. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 20. 

Quick short pass to the left side for Kirk and he reels it in for 4 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 20. 

The snap was muffed out of the shotgun and Stroud had to chase it down and threw it incomplete in the vacinity of a WR. 

3rd and 2 from the HOU 16. 

WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF WHAT'S BEEN A DEFENSIVE GAME SO FAR. 

HOU get the ball from their 8 yard line and Stroud finds Stover with a short pass on the shallow route to the right side for 8 yards. 

2nd and 2 from the HOU 16. 

Rodgers finds MVS with a short pass and he is brought down after a gain of 5. 

4th and 5 from the PIT 49 and they will punt with under 1:00 to go in the first quarter. 

Rodgers to the right side for Metcalf and he had it in his hands but he couldn't make the catch down the field for what would have been a big game. 

3rd and 10 from the PIT 44. 

Warren up the middle and he is stopped for no gain. 

2nd and 10 from the PIT 44. 

Stroud had a man open down the field but the pitch back to Stroud a little too long to get there and Sawyer makes a big play to force the turnover. 

FUMBLE!!!

The Texans tried a flea flicker and it took way too long to develop, so Sawyer came off the edge and knocked it out of Strouds hands! Black made the recovery and might have caught it in the air, but it's a turnover none the less. 

PIT ball from their 44 after the first big defensive play of the game. 

Stroud goes over the middle for Collins and he makes a tough catch in traffic for a gain of 16 yards!

1st and 10 from the PIT 40. 

Pass to the flat for Collins and he takes it for 4 yards on the WR screen. 

3rd and 3 from the HOU 44. 

Marks to the right side again and he picks up 3 yards. 

2nd and 7 from the HOU 40. 

Marks to the right side for a gain of 2 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 37.

Marks up the middle and he takes it for 5 yards but is short of the marker. 

3rd and 1 from the HOU 30. 

HOU get the ball back from their 26, and Stroud finds Collins for a short gain of 4 o the left side. 

2nd and 6 from the HOU 30. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Boswell drills the 32 yard field goal to put the Steelers on the board first. 

PIT lead 3-0 with 6:02 to go in the 1st quarter. 

Rodgers looks to the left side for MVS and he reels it in for a gain of 7 but that is short of the marker. 

4th and 3 from the HOU 14. 

Rodgers looks down the right side for Austin and he checked his route and that pass falls incomplete. 

3rd and 10 from the HOU 21. 

Rodgers looks deep for Smith but that pass was a yard or two over thrown. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 21. 

Gainwell up the middle again for another gain of 6 yards. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 21. 

Gainwell up the middle for a gain of 6 yards. 

2nd and 4 from the HOU 27. 

Rodgers down the left sideline for Metcalf and a flag flies for PI on Houston. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 33. 

PIT get the ball from their 28 after a short punt and Rodgers rolls out and throws a strike to Metcalf on th crossing route for a gain of 25. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 47. 

After a false start on HOU, Stroud's pass to Kirk over the middle skips off the turf after Watt brought the pressure. 

4th and 11 and the Texans will punt from the 50. 

Timeout Houston with the play clock running down. 

Marks to the left side and he is stopped after a short gain of 2. 

3rd and 6 from the PIT 45. 

Chubb to the right side and he picks up just two yards on first down. 

2nd and 8 from the PIT 47. 

Stroud lofts one down the left side for Kirk and he sprawls out to make a diving catch for a gain of 36!

1st and 10 from the PIT 49. 

Stroud looks over the middle for Collins on the slant and that pass was batted away and almost picked off. 

3rd and 5 from the HOU 15. 

HOU get the ball from the 10 to start their night and Marks takes the handoff to the right side for a five yard gain. 

2nd and 5 from the HOU 15. 

Rodgers looks to the right side for Gainwell but that pass was high and the Steelers will punt. 

4th and 7 from the 50. 

Warren up the middle out of the shotgun and he picks up 2. 

3rd and 7 from the 50. 

Warren up the middle and he is chopped down after a gain of 1. 

2nd and 9 from the PIT 48. 

Rodgers with a quick throw to the right side for Metcalf in the flat and he follows some blockers for a gain of 17!

1st and 10 from the PIT 47. 

HOU won the toss and differed so Rodgers and the Steelers offense will begin the game from the 20. 

Warren gets the hand off and starts the game with a 10 yard run to the left side. 

1st and 10 from the PIT 30. 

WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM PITTSBURGH!!!

Hot seat for Tomlin?

This is a familiar place to be for Mike Tomlin, at least in the last few years. No, I'm not talking about being in the playoffs, which he is. No, I’m not talking about producing another season at .500 or over. I’m talking about Tomlin being on the hot seat should he lose tonight. People in Pittsburgh have grown a bit tired of the seemingly never ending playoff win drought that stretches back to January 2017. They have lost five straight playoff games, and this could be the final straw for Tomlin in the Steele City. He seems to be taking all of this speculation rather lightly though. At least that’s what it seemed like after last week’s win.

Rodgers last game?

Could this be it? The 42 year old who was drafted in 2005 by the Green Bay Packers has been on the brink of retirement for the last couple years. Of course this isn't his first time facing elimination this year. He was in the same situation last week but stretched his career out by at least one more week. In the post game interview after the win there was a spark in his eye and a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Could this be the last game the future Hall of Famer plays? There is only one way to be sure, and that’s if the Steelers win tonight. 

Texans defense 

Tonight, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers will go up against the the top defense in the league. They give up a league best 277.2 yards a game and just 17.4 points a game. That's usually the identity of the Steelers defense, but Pittsburgh haven’t exactly had a shut down defense this season. They are in the bottom half of the league in both yards allowed and points allowed. Tonight, the Texans defense will have to outplay the experienced Steelers team from Pittsburgh tonight. 

Metcalf back for playoffs

Pittsburgh's offense and Aaron Rodgers is going to get a big boost tonight as DK Metcalf comes back from a two game suspension after punching a fan in the stands at Ford Field back in Week 16. Aaron Rodgers has struggled without Metcalf but he made it work in Week 18 when he put up 294 yards against the Ravens. His 26 yard TD pass to Calvin Austin was the first Rodgers threw without Metcalf on the field all season. Metcalf had 850 yards and 6 receiving TDs to lead the Steelers in both categories. He has just one TD since Week 8, and those in Pittsburgh will be hoping he will break that slump tonight. 

Texans target score 

It took the Texans offense a while to get going, and even to this day they aren't the most imposing team when the ball in in their possession. The key for the Texans appears to be scoring 20 or more points. They have lost five of the six games they failed to reach the 20 point mark, with the exception of the 16-13 win over the Tennessee Titans. On the other head, they have won every game they have scored 20 or more points. 

Star watch: Steelers 

The Steelers went all in for Aaron Rodgers, looking to bring the four time MVP QB to Pittsburgh to solve their problems that have been plaguing them for years since Big Ben retired. He stunned with a 4 TD game in Week 1 to get the Steelers faithful fully on board with the former Jet and Packer. He threw for 3,322 yards, 24 TDs and 7 INTs, and led the Steelers to a 9-8 record and back to the playoffs, but night's like tonight is why the Steelers brought Rodgers to town. They want a QB that has been there and Rodgers has loads of playoff experience. In fact he has the third most playoff wins in history, after Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Tonight he can draw level with Mahomes with a win over the Texans. 

Star watch: Texans 

Let's be honest. The Texans were in trouble early in the season, and that was when CJ Stroud was healthy. Davis Mills came in and strung three wins together and things started to change in Houston. He missed three games and some change, but even if you take those games in which he was sidelined, the numbers aren’t incredible. He threw for 3,041 yards, 19 TDs and 8 INTs. Those are far from the numbers he put up in his rookie year, but he has won playoffs games in each of his first two years, and looking to make it a third straight tonight. 

Steelers season recap 

Pittsburgh went out and got Aaron Rodgers in the offseason and signed TJ Watt to a long term contract looking for not just looking for a playoff win but for a return to the Super Bowl. They won four of their first five games, but then went through a mid season slide that saw them lost five of their next seven which had them at 6-6 through 13 weeks of the season. Pittsburgh started playing their best ball over the next three weeks, beating the Ravens, Dolphins and Lions to set up a chance to secure the division in Week 17 in Cleveland, but they lost to the Browns. That set up an all or nothing match between the Ravens in Pittsburgh on the final week of the season and the Steelers won it in a thriller. 

We are live from Acrisure  

Hello everyone and welcome to Pittsburgh where the Steelers are back at home after wrapping up the AFC North title in the final week of the regular season. Now the Steelers are back in the playoffs where they have been five times since the 2016 season but haven't won a game since the divisional round in January of 2017. Tonight they host a dominant Houston defense that will be looking to get after Aaron Rodgers and move on to the next round of the playoffs for the last two years, but they will be looking to make the deepest run in the Demeco Ryans/CJ Stroud era. 

Texans vs. Steelers  

It's the final game of what’s been a crazy Wild Card weekend as we shift focus to Acrisure Stadium for matchup between the 4 and 5 seed in the AFC. Tonight Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers go up against the dominant defense of the Houston Texans in a win or go home situation and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of this final first round playoff game from the Steele City.