It’s week four and the Pittsburgh Steelers hit the road again as they travel to Houston to take on the Texans. Here’s everything you need to know heading into the game!
What: Pittsburgh Steelers 2-1 at Houston Texans 1-2
Where: NRG Stadium Houston, Texas
When: 1pmET Sunday October 1, 2023
Weather: It’s under a roof.
Wagering Information: Steelers -2.5 O/U 43.5
Last Week: The Steelers went on the road for the first time this season and defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 23-18 while the Texans picked up their first win of the season by defeating Jacksonville 37-17.
TV: Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (analysis), Amanda Renner (field reporter)
TV Coverage in Your Area: See if you’re getting the game! Click here 506sports.com.
Radio: Steelers Nation Radio/WDVE Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Craig Wolfley (analysis), Missi Matthews (sideline),
Max Starks (sideline)
Westwood One Radio: N/A
Head Official: Bill Vinovich. Vinovich is in his 15th season as a head official. He’s a certified public accountant who graduated from San Diego. His crew last worked a Steelers’ game in 2022 when Pittsburgh played the Colts. There were just five accepted penalties in that contest. He was the official for the infamous “false start” game with the Chargers.
Key Injuries/Game Status (courtesy steelers.com) PIT: No. 6 P Pressley Harvin (Hamstring) – Out
No. 78 OL James Daniels (Groin) – Out HOU: No. 74 T Josh Jones (Hand) – Out, No. 6 LB Denzel Perryman (Hand/Wrist) – Out, No. 4 CB Tavierre Thomas (Hand) – Out, No. 78 T Laremy Tunsil (Knee) – Out, No. 63 C/G Michael Deiter (Chest) – Questionable
Injury Notes: With Daniels out, Nate Herbig will get his first start and I’m very curious to see how he performs… Veteran Brad Wing will handle the punting duties.
2023 NFL Ranks:
Total Offense: PIT 22nd HOU 18th Passing Offense: PIT 17th HOU 6th Rushing Offense: PIT 30th HOU 28th
Total Defense: PIT 20th HOU 22nd Passing Defense: PIT 22nd HOU 17th Rushing Defense: PIT 30th HOU 17th
AFC North Rankings: Baltimore 2-1, Cleveland 2-1, Pittsburgh 2-1, Cincinnati 1-2,
This Week in the AFC North: Cincinnati at Tennessee 1pm, Baltimore at Cleveland 1pmET
What You Need to Know: The Steelers are now 39-31 in domed stadiums since 1970 and play in another one this week… At .659, the Steelers have the highest winning percentage in the NFL in the month of October since 1970… In 2005 and in 2008 the Steelers won games against Houston on their way to Super Bowl victories… Since 1970, the Steelers are 48-13 all-time vs rookie starting QBs… The last rookie QB to defeat the Steelers was Dak Prescott in 2016… They’ve won nine straight games against rookie starting QBs…
Houston Texans Names to Know: QB C.J. Stroud, RB Dameon Pierce, TE Dalton Schultz, WR Tank Dell, WR John Metchie III, LB Will Anderson, CB Steven Nelson, OL Kendrick Green
What’s at Stake: The Texans find themselves in a division that is literally up for grabs with the Jaguars not playing well and the Colts are beating expectations. The Steelers – no surprise – are in a meat grinder in the AFC North. A win here before the Ravens come in would be crucial.
All-Time Series: Steelers lead 5-2 and lead 2-1 in Houston.
Last Meeting: September 2020 in Pittsburgh. Steelers 28 Texans 21
Postseason History: Never Met
Steelers Game Highs vs HOU: PASSING: Tommy Maddox 325 yards 2002 RUSHING: Willie Parker 138 yards 2008 RECEIVING: Antonio Brown 90 yards 2014 SACKS: James Harrison 3 sacks 2008 INTERCEPTIONS: 5 different players have 1 INT. Most recent: Mike Hilton 2020
Check out the latest Steel City Blitz Steelers Podcast for more on the Steelers.
Three Things We Need to See for a Steelers’ Victory:
1. Take Advantage. Games like this scare me. The Texans are dealing with injuries in key spots, they have a rookie QB and are a relatively young team and winning this game shouldn’t be all that difficult. But then again, why would we expect anything other than drama from our Steelers? T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith will be facing backup offensive tackles. That means the Texans will likely be keeping in running backs and tight ends which could make the secondary’s job a tad easier. The Steelers also get the benefit of having Kendrick Green line up at guard and if they can’t take advantage of him then they don’t deserve to win. With the Ravens and their BYE week on the immediate horizon, the Steelers must be focused and they have to take advantage of what is in front of them.
2. Nickel for Your Thoughts. I haven’t been overly impressed with Chandon Sullivan as a pass rusher or as a guy in coverage from the nickel corner spot. This could be the week we see Desmond King who saw action as a kick returner but that was it last week. King has experience on the boundary and in the slot and I’m hopeful he gets some opportunities there. Conversely, the Texans are without Tavierre Thomas who has been really good in the slot for the them this season. With a rookie jumping in to replace him, I’m hopeful that Calvin Austin III and Allen Robinson can take advantage.
3. The Little Things. If you’ve watched enough football then you know games in the NFL often come down to the little things. Maybe it’s a little extra effort on a block or maybe it’s a simple adjustment in coverage. For the Steelers, they’ll need to rely on Brad Wing not only for punting but also for holding on place kicks by Chris Boswell. Kickers are particular – very particular – about their routine so Wing needs to handle these duties without fail. Nate Herbig replaces James Daniels who is usually the guy making the calls along the O-Line. Will he be given the same duty or will that fall on Mason Cole or Isaac Seumalo? Regardless, the Steelers have to take care of these and other little things.
Prediction: The Steelers rarely do anything easily and I expect this game will be no different. I think it will look a lot like last week where the running game will find enough success to make the play-action work but don’t exactly expect fireworks. The defense should be able to pressure Stroud consistently so stopping Dameon Pierce becomes vital. Kenny Pickett has to take care of the ball and rely on his receivers to do the damage. In the end, the Steelers get it done but don’t plan on breathing easy.
Steelers 24 Texans 17
Season Record: 2-1
