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.
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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