Texans PFF grades: Top & Bottom defensive players in win vs. Steelers

You know, when the defense outscores the opposing offense, it’s a crushing victory.

That becomes a reality Monday night when the Houston Texans take on the Pittsburgh Steelers inside Acrisure Stadium.

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All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. sacked Aaron Rodgers and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins made a 33-yard score as the Texans cruised through the fourth quarter to beat the Steelers 30-6 in the final game of the wild-card round.

Defensive back Kalen Bullock intercepted Rodgers with two minutes left in what might have been his final pass of his historic 21-year career and returned it 50 yards.

“Every time we go out there, we show (we’re the best),” Bullock told reporters after the game. “We showed that today. I don’t think they even scored a touchdown.”

With the win, the Texans (13-5) finally got their first playoff road win in franchise history. They will now face the New England Patriots (15-3) in the divisional round on Sunday afternoon.

The Texans’ defense outscored the Steelers 13-6 overall, but their offense almost outscored the Steelers after a poor first half from C.J. Stroud. The third-year passer turned the ball over three times but connected with Christian Kirk on an 8-yard touchdown pass to give Houston a four-point lead in the second quarter.

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Kirk, who had been quiet for much of the regular season, became the new No. 1 target Monday night, totaling a season-high eight catches for 144 yards. Meanwhile, rookie running back Woody Marks secured his 100-yard shutout after a 112-yard performance and capped the game with a 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make it 24-6 with just over three minutes left.

“I think he’s one of the best players in the league,” Stroud said of Kirk’s performance. “We tried to find ways to get him the ball and it didn’t really work.

Pro Football Focus graded the players who performed well in Houston’s win over the Steelers, and we broke them down by offense and defense. Here are the five highest and lowest ratings on the defensive side of the ball after a promising win that sets up Houston for another conference run in this regime.

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There are some surprises in terms of the top and bottom-rated players on both offense and defense. In fact, most of you have already guessed who’s performance is awesome and terrible.

Here are the five best defensive players:

Top 5 defense

• DeDanielle Hunter – 90.2

• DE Will Anderson Jr. – 86.4

• LB Aziz Shahr – 84. 1

• CB Kamari Lassiter – 75.4

Pick a defensive player and you’re likely to get positive results. Hunter and Anderson both had pass-rushing grades of 87 or better, while Lassiter had a coverage grade of 73.5

Defensive bottom 5

While Barnett barely played, he was still effective as a pass rusher. Fotu and Jones were only able to take seven shots combined, so their impact was minimal to say the least. Of all the names, To’oTo’o was the only major role player in the bottom five, but he was only credited with one tackle for loss.

other celebrities

• DL Sheldon Rankins – 67.1

• CB Derek Stingley Jr. – 63.7

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This article originally appeared on Texans Wired: Texans PFF Grades: Top and Bottom of Defensive Players in Win over Steelers