For most of this season, it seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to win the AFC North. That seems less certain now after they lost their last three games. The Steelers have fallen down the standings, now sitting as the fifth seed in the AFC. If that holds true, they’d face the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs. Analyst Charles Davis believes that’s a matchup that would favor the Steelers.
“Use the baseball analogy,” Davis said recently of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud via CBS Sports HQ. “The first time through the league, that guy hits .450. Then they’ve studied him and realized, ‘Oh, let me try this pitch.’ All of a sudden, he’s hitting .250, and he has to adjust.
“C.J. Stroud will adjust, DeMeco Ryans will adjust. I just don’t know if it’s this season. I’d have more confidence in Pittsburgh in that ball game, even if it’s in Houston.”
Steelers fans might feel like that’s crazy because of how Pittsburgh has played recently. However, the Texans have seen more than their own fair share of disappointments this season. After a stellar rookie season, Stroud has regressed this year. He has thrown for almost 4,000 yards, but he’s also thrown 12 interceptions to only 19 touchdowns.
The Texans have won their division, but with one game remaining, they’ve only posted a 9-7 record this year. There was hope they’d improve on their 10-7 record from 2023, but that will not be the case. Their team has looked as frustrating as the Steelers.
Also, the Texans are dealing with numerous injuries to some of their key playmakers. Wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell are out for the year with awful injuries. Injuries are probably part of the reason why the Texans have struggled this year.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are getting healthier, but that hasn’t solved all of their problems. There seems to be some friction in their locker room, with multiple players expressing their displeasure with the team’s performance recently. Betting on a team dealing with a three-game losing streak usually isn’t smart, but the Texans’ recent performance against the Baltimore Ravens was just as ugly.
If the season ended today, the Steelers would travel to Houston to face the Texans. Davis seems to not care about homefield advantage, though. That game would likely be a toss-up. The Texans crushed the Steelers last year, but neither team looks the same compared to that game.
Both teams do have one game left to play in the regular season, so perhaps that will influence the public’s perception of both of them. At one point, the Steelers did look like one of the best teams in the NFL, and if they can get back to that, they should prove Davis right.
