NFL.com’s five editors unanimously selected the Houston Texans to eliminate the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC wild-card round on Monday night.
All four ESPN NFL analysts pick the fifth-seeded Texans to beat the fourth-seeded Steelers on the road.
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Not only that, but Ben Solak made a bold (and rough) prediction for the Aaron Rodgers-led offense.
“The Steelers are going to be shut out in the first half,” the analyst wrote. “There’s been so much hype about the Texans’ pass rush, but it was the secondary’s ability to create turnovers and minimize YAC that led to a quick three-and-out in this game. Houston can also sustain a long drive to control the clock.”
Although none of the four predicted a blowout win for Houston, Solak gave the Texans their largest margin of victory in the final, 24-13.
Betting analyst Pamela Maldonado and analytics writer Seth Wold both predict Mike Tomlin’s team will lose on field goals (20 to 23 and 16 to 19, respectively), while Eric Moody predicts Houston to win 21 to 17.
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Despite Rodgers’ extensive playoff experience, it’s clear that the Texans pose a tough challenge to the Steelers offense.
Pittsburgh is averaging 23.4 points per game this season, ranking in the middle of the pack (15th), but has failed to score 30 points in each of its past seven games.
Meanwhile, Houston’s defense ranked second in the NFL in points allowed during the regular season (17.4).
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NFL analysts have rough predictions for the Steelers offense in their wild-card game against Team USA. Texans appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Network.