The 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers battled during a strange season that saw them led by three different starting quarterbacks, showing that if they want to be truly competitive, they’ll need a star signal caller under center. Maybe no game presented that as fact more than their Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans. Going into last year, the Texans were supposed to be one of the NFL’s worst teams. However, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud put that narrative to bed quickly, performing like one of the league’s best. Stroud himself claims that game was what made him believe he could thrive in the NFL, and according to the Texans’ general manager, he wasn’t the only player who had their breakthrough against the Steelers.
Nick Caserio has been the Texans’ GM since 2021, helping to transition the team from the Deshaun Watson debacle into what they are now. In a recent appearance on SportsRadio 610 Houston, Caserio was asked if there was a moment last year that made the Texans know that they’d have to handsomely pay Nico Collins, their young wide receiver. As it turns out, Caserio named the game against the Steelers as Collins’ coming out party, showing it wasn’t just Stroud who proved himself that day.
”As we got through the early part of the season, he played really well in the Pittsburgh game. That was a game where it was like, ‘Okay, you’re starting to see some things.’”
The Steelers definitely saw some things that day, and not many of them were good. Not only did they lose 30-6 and allow Stroud to find comfort in the NFL, but they also watched as Collins reeled in seven of his nine targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns. It was a game with few positive takeaways for the Steelers, but apparently unlocked the Texans’ potential franchise quarterback and stud wide receiver.
Collins finished last year with over 1,200 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, so it wasn’t just the Steelers who he played like a star against. If the Texans go on to achieve success with Stroud and Collins as a duo, they will have the Steelers game in 2023 to reflect back on as the game that got the ball rolling. Unfortunately, that would make the already stacked AFC just that much harder to go through, with the likes of the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens already present. However, if you want to be the best, you’re going to have to beat the best.
The Steelers will only see the Texans this year if the two teams meet up in the playoffs, which could be a great opportunity for Pittsburgh to get their win back and put a happy ending on this little story with the Texans. Having a young quarterback like Stroud play like one of the best certainly makes winning easier. Whether it’s Russell Wilson proving the old guard still has it or Justin Fields becoming the Steelers’ own quarterback of the future, a win won’t come easy.
