On defense, the Steelers are headlined by T.J. Watt, an outside linebacker and the younger brother of Texans legend J.J. Watt. Watt had an interception on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday night. The Steelers have three formidable pass rushers in Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nate Herbig.

The Steelers, though, rank 26th in total defense, allowing 356.8 yards per contest and struggled to contain deep passes from Jackson to wide receiver Zay Flowers. The Texans could look to strike deep with Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins next week.

The Texans traditionally have hosted the Saturday afternoon opening playoff game of wild-card weekend. The Texans have never won a road postseason game, going 0-6 previously.

This year feels different, though. The Texans have built a considerable amount of momentum and a proven winning formula.

“Man, we’re hot that’s exactly what you want to be,” said Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who led the team with five catches for 84 yards on nine targets with Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins rested Sunday in advance of the playoffs. “Right at the end of the year, you want to play your best football. I still feel like we haven’t played our best football, but damn we’re looking good, though. Man, I feel like we’re a dangerous team.

“I think everybody in this building has that belief and faith that we’re a dangerous team. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep fighting. It never comes easy. It all comes down to belief and faith. Through the ups and downs, we’ve been there for each other. We’re going to continue to fight.”

The Texans are the fifth team since 1990 and the first team since the 2018 Texans squad to qualify for the playoffs following an 0-3 start. They are in the playoffs for the third year in a row under coach DeMeco Ryans’ leadership. The Texans are led by the NFL’s top-ranked defense for yards and rank second in points allowed. Standout defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. have combined for 27 sacks, including 15 sacks for Hunter to lead the defense along with All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr.

“We just know what playoff football looks like,” Stingley said. “We treat every game like a playoff game.”

The Steelers are 26th in total offense, but get back star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf for the playoffs game from a two-game suspension stemming from his interaction with a fan. Now, he’s back and will undoubtedly be a focal point for Rodgers in a high-profile matchup tailor-made for Stingley.

“Nothing shifts for us when it comes to our mindset,” Ryans said after a 38-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a regular-season finale at NRG Stadium. “Our mindset never changes. We don’t turn it up because we’re in the playoffs. We continue to grind out, put the work in, do what we have to do to practice really well throughout the week.

“No matter who our opponent is, we got to have a great week of practice and that shows up whenever that game is. How we work throughout the week, it’ll show up then. Our process and mindset doesn’t change.”

Doug Pike