(5) Houston Texans @ (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday, January 12, 8:00 PM ET
Wild Card weekend concludes with a game that has the potential to bring some serious old-school Big Ten vibes. Some real 2016 Iowa-Wisconsin type stuff. The Houston Texans boast the best defense in the NFL, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a mixed bag among mixed bags this season.
The Texans are not exactly firing on all cylinders in every phase of the game heading into the postseason, but I also don't think it's fair to say that this team is really missing any key ingredients. They have the potential to be the most dangerous Wild Card team in the AFC, and the Steelers are fixing to find out.
With Houston's stellar pass rush and defense, the one asset you absolutely have to have is a battle-tested quarterback, which the Steelers have. The investments this team made in Aaron Rodgers and a number of other old players have paid off. The Steelers are AFC North champs after one of the wildest games you will ever see on Sunday Night Football.
Pittsburgh was able to outlast the Baltimore Ravens, Aaron Rodgers led them to a division title, and Mike Tomlin dodged some really uncomfortable questions -- for the time being -- about his future with the team.
The opening line for this game has the Texans as 2.5-point favorites. I would say that's fair based on the way their defense has played all year. Even playing in Pittsburgh, it's going to take a massive effort from this Steelers team to take the Texans out.
Just like a number of other games on the docket for this weekend, I could see this one being a low-scoring barn-burner, but in favor of Houston.
Prediction: Texans win 23-20