NFL Playoff Picture: Texans to Root for Steelers as Ravens Start as Favorites to Eliminate Pittsburgh

Cheering for another team is never an ideal circumstance. But it’s a lot better than being eliminated from the playoffs and having to say “goodbye” to your team for the season. Hence, even though they may not have much in common with the good people of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Houston Texans’ fan base will be in full support of the Steelers ahead of their winner-takes-all match-up against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18.

One last head-to-head meeting between Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers with a playoff spot on the line is about as good as it gets. And with the Steelers being forced to reprise their role as the underdogs, it’s almost cinematic. Even though this one is set to take place at Acrisure Stadium, the availability of Jackson has resulted in the NFL itself giving Baltimore a 63% chance of making the playoffs, i.e., winning.

Of course, the Ravens’ opening as -3.5 favorites isn’t the sole reason for the Texans’ support, as Baltimore has been dominating them since 2002. Apart from Houston’s Week 5 win over a Jackson-less Ravens squad, you’d have to go all the way back to 2014 to find the last time that they were able to beat the Ravens.

Since their inception, the Texans have won just 3 of their 16 matchups against Baltimore, and when Jackson is healthy, things have been rather bleak. Just a few days removed from New Year’s Day of 2024, the Ravens smashed Houston’s playoff dreams with a 34-10 beating in the AFC Divisional round.

On Christmas Day that same year, Jackson and co. routed the hosting Texans 31-2, spoiling yet another holiday season for everyone in the region. Now that the postseason is finally here and there’s a sense of optimism surrounding their defense, it’s safe to say that no one in Houston, Texas, wants to see Jackson and the Ravens come along and crush that confidence in the first round of the playoffs.

Now, none of this is to say that a motivated Rodgers who is hoping to make one last legacy run towards the title is a favorable opponent by any means. Still, the Texans will likely feel a bit better about facing off against the franchise that has three wins against them since 2014 rather than the one that has six.

Unfortunately, when you start to try and pick and choose your ideal opponents in the NFL playoffs, it can often end up being an exercise in picking your own poison. There’s no such thing as an easy path to a Super Bowl, and for better or worse, the Texans will have to discover that the hard way.

The Texans may be the little brother of the NFL, but if it ever wants to step out of that role and establish itself as the Texas football rival that it was always intended to be, then it’ll have to overcome these spots. Whether it’s the Steelers or the Ravens who ultimately find them won’t matter, because in the end, all anyone truly wants is a win in the divisional round.