The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 and on top of the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens look like a dominant team, but for now, the Steelers are better than them. The AFC has several other strong teams, too. If the Steelers ultimately do make the playoffs, they could face a tough team. The Houston Texans are young but also on top of their division. Analyst Rich Eisen believes they would beat the Steelers if the two teams played right now.
“Number eight, one spot up, I’m putting the Russell Wilson Steelers right here,” Eisen said recently on his show when revealing his power rankings. “They beat the Jets; they beat the Giants. [Wilson] is smelting. The running game’s going, T.J. Watt’s going, the special teams are going.
“All three phases are going. 6-2, they lead the AFC North. I still think if the Houston Texans play them, the Texans beat them, which is why I’m putting the Texans right here at seven.”
That’s not an unfair thing to say. The Texans have been a great team this year. They are 6-2, but their two losses weren’t awful. They got crushed by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, but the Vikings were rolling at that point. They also lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, but the game came down to the wire.
The Texans also beat the tar out of the Steelers last year. In Week 4 of 2023, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud dominated the Steelers, beating them 30-6. The Texans have only improved their team since then, so it isn’t a stretch to say they could do it again.
However, the Steelers have also upgraded their team this year. Their offense looks much better, especially with Wilson at quarterback. They aren’t the same team the Texans beat last year. The Steelers have been playing great recently, too, so it’s possible that they could avenge their loss from last year.
The Texans are also dealing with some huge injuries. They just lost star receiver Stefon Diggs for the year, and Nico Collins, their standout receiver last year, is on injured reserve at the moment. The Texans are deep at receiver, but replacing both those players is almost impossible.
Therefore, if the two teams played today, it wouldn’t be crazy to say the Steelers have the advantage. The Texans have a young, hotshot quarterback and a stout defense, but they might not have the playmakers to beat the Steelers.
This is all hypothetical, though. The only way the Steelers will play the Texans this year will be if they meet in the playoffs. That’s still a few months away, so if that does happen, it’s likely both teams will look slightly different. The Texans could have Collins back, or they could be suffering from more injuries. The same could be said for the Steelers. It would make for an interesting postseason matchup, though.
