PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Steelers come into the playoffs winners of four of five including the final game of the season to make the playoffs. No one is hotter in the NFL, in terms of consecutive wins, than the Houston Texans.
The last Houston loss was 18-15 to the AFC’s top-seeded team, the Denver Broncos. Even in that game Denver scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to win after CJ Stroud was knocked out of the game.
The Texans are 12-5 and those losses are by a combined 24 points.
Here is what Houston did in its last nine games:
36-29 Jacksonville
· Texans scored 26 points in the fourth quarter led by back-up QB Davis Mills who threw for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Up a point late in the game, Houston sacked Trevor Lawrence twice including a strip sack returned for a touchdown to end the game.
16-13 at Tennessee
· QB Mills threw for 274 yards and led a 9-play, 48-yard drive to the Titans 17 to set up the game-ending field goal
23-19 Buffalo
· Mills threw for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Houston defense intercepted Josh Allen twice, the second interception at the Houston 22-yard line to end the game. The Texans D finished with 8 sacks (Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter combined for 4.5) for a loss of 70 yards.
20-16 at Indianapolis
· CJ Stroud returned to throw for 276 yards and the Houston defense held Jonathan Taylor to 21 carries, 85 yards.
Texans overcame 9 penalties for 85 yards
20-10 at Kansas City
· Held Patrick Mahomes to 14-33 for 160 yards, 3 interceptions and 5-17 on 3rd/4th down conversions. CJ Stroud threw for 203 yards and led a touchdown and field goal drive in the fourth quarter after the Chiefs had tied it.
40-20 Arizona
· CJ Stroud 22-29 for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns, Jawhar Jordan rushed for 101 yards. Azeez Al-Shaair finished with 12 tackles (7 solo), Kamari Lassiter had an interception.
23-21 Las Vegas
· Derek Stingley, Junior had a 31-yard Pick 6 of Geno Smith on the Raiders first series. Texans benefitted from defensive pass interference on the final drive, Stroud would then complete a 17-yard pass on 3rd and 5 and 24-yard pass on 3rd and 8 on the final drive to end the game.
20-16 at Chargers
· With 2:32 to play and the Texans up 4, Stroud was sacked on 3rd down, but Chargers called for illegal contact in the secondary leading to a first down and Houston ran out the clock.
Stroud was 16-28, 244 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT. Defense had 5 sacks and an interception, limiting LA to 74 yards rushing (37 yards by Justin Herbert).
38-30 Indianapolis
· Rushed for 134 yards, defense forced two fumbles and an interception, allowed 270 yards and 2 TD passing to Riley Leonard, although not all starters played.