Houston
Texans
1-3
21
FINAL
26
Pittsburgh
Steelers
3-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated the Houston Texans 26-21 in Week 13 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications on the line, both teams fought hard, but it was the Steelers who emerged victorious, solidifying their position in the playoff hunt.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the standout performer, throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his experience and poise under pressure. Rico Dowdle added a strong ground game with 73 rushing yards, while Germie Bernard led the receiving corps with 84 yards, making key catches that helped keep the chains moving throughout the game.
Defensively, the Steelers made crucial plays, highlighted by Cam Heyward's sack that disrupted the Texans' rhythm at a pivotal moment. Although Kamari Lassiter of the Texans recorded a game-high 10 tackles, it was the Steelers' ability to pressure the quarterback and force mistakes that turned the tide in their favor. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Steelers' defense held strong, preventing a Texans comeback and sealing the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 37 | 24 | 248 | 2 | 0 | 102.0 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 30 | 17 | 160 | 1 | 0 | 82.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 8 | 73 | 9.1 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 16 | 72 | 4.5 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 9 | 45 | 5.0 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Kaleb Johnson | HB | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | HB | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germie Bernard | WR | 7 | 84 | 12.0 | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 5 | 56 | 11.2 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 6 | 48 | 8.0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 4 | 48 | 12.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Tank Dell | WR | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Kayshon Boutte | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Marlin Klein | TE | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marcus Ingram | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Sheldon Rankins | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danielle Hunter | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Reed Blankenship | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Logan Lee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jadeveon Clowney | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Togiai | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Henry To'oTo'o | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Epps | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 31 |
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

