Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was arrested Sunday on a reckless driving charge, according to The Dallas Morning News, citing Collin County jail records.
Ezeiruaku posted a $500 bond and was released.
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An officer spotted Ezeiruaku driving “recklessly” on the southbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway in Plano, Texas, just before midnight on Sunday. The Texas Department of Public Safety said that the “trooper initiated a traffic stop to investigate, which ultimately led to the arrest of the driver,” via the NFL Network’s Jane Slater. Further specifics of the incident are not yet known.
The Cowboys said Monday night that they were aware of the arrest and did not provide additional comments. Collin County sits just northeast of Dallas.
Ezeiruaku had 40 total tackles and two sacks with the Cowboys this season. He was ejected from the team’s final game of the season after he ripped off the helmet of New York Giants offensive lineman Greg Van Roten during a scuffle in the second half, ending his rookie season early.
Ezeiruaku was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft last spring out of Boston College. He racked up 16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss during his senior campaign with the Eagles, both of which led the ACC.
The Cowboys went 7-9-1 this past season and lost four of their last five games to fall out of playoff contention for a second straight year.
Collins landed face first into the ground while attempting to catch a pass early in the fourth quarter. Per the ESPN broadcast, he remained hunched over on the ground for more than a minute after the collision and struggled to make it to the sideline medical tent.
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When he left the tent, he sat down on the back of a cart with a towel over his head and his left hand cradling his forehead.
Houston ruled him out shortly after he left the game with a concussion. Further details of Collins’ condition weren’t initially clear. Fellow Texans wide receiver Justin Watson was also ruled out with a concussion.
The injury took place early in the fourth quarter as the Texans held a 7-6 lead. Houston’s defense controlled the game from two defensive touchdowns as the Texans opened the one-point contest into a blowout.
Collins is Houston’s top receiver, but played a secondary role to Christian Kirk prior to his exit. Collins had 3 catches for 21 yards when he left the game, while Kirk finished with 8 receptions for 144 yards a touchdown.
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Collins’ health moving forward will be a significant storyline for next week and beyond.
Joe Mazzulla had two words, and only two words, on Monday night.
“Illegal screen.”
The Boston Celtics’ head coach said those two words over and over when speaking with reporters after the team’s late loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday, clearly upset by what he thought was an illegal screen set by Pascal Siakam before the game-winning bucket.
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While it’s not as harsh as the comments made by Jaylen Brown on Saturday, it’s still likely to lead to a fine from the NBA in the coming days.
Siakam set a screen for Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard at the top of the court, though Nembhard gave him the ball back almost immediately. Siakam then worked Derrick White down the paint and hit a bank-shot with less than seven seconds left to secure a 98-96 win over the Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
It’s the screen that set Mazzulla off. Siakam didn’t appear to be completely set when he set the screen for Nembhard, and then he leaned into White’s hip — which knocked him to the ground briefly.
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Siakam wasn’t called for a foul on the play, and the game continued.
After the game, instead of talking about anything that led up to that play, Mazzulla answered plainly to every question he was asked by reporters.
“Illegal screen,” he said every time before finally walking off.
Siakam led the Pacers with 21 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10-of-15 from the field. Jay Huff added 20 points, and Nembhard finished with 13 points. The win marked the third straight for Indianapolis, which now holds a 9-31 record.
Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists in the loss, which marked their third in a four-game span. White added 18 points, and Anfernee Simons finished with 16 points off the bench.
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This is the second straight game in which someone within the Celtics organization has publicly criticized the officials. Brown went off after the team’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, calling out the referees in that game with a long, expletive-filled rant. Brown didn’t attempt a single free throw in that contest, and the Celtics took only four as a team.
“I’ll accept the fine at this point. I thought it was some bulls*** tonight,” Brown said on Saturday, in part. “I think they’re a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good … Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy. I’ll take the f***ing fine. Curtis, all them dudes, was terrible tonight. I don’t care, they can fine me whatever they want.”
Wild-card weekend is in the books, and the next round of the NFL playoffs are set.
The Seattle Seahawks secured the top seed in the division, which allowed them to watch wild-card weekend from home. They’ll now get to host the San Francisco 49ers next weekend in the divisional round, a rematch of their Week 18 battle that clinched the NFC West for Seattle. The Chicago Bears will host the Los Angeles Rams in the other NFC game.
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The Denver Broncos narrowly beat out the New England Patriots for the first-round bye in the AFC, and will now get to host the Buffalo Bills, who beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots will then host the Houston Texans, who rolled over Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers to wrap up the wild-card round on Monday night.
Here’s everything you need to know with the divisional round of the playoffs looming.
NFC playoff field
1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3) 2. Chicago Bears (12-6) 5. Los Angeles Rams (13-5) 6. San Francisco 49ers (13-5)
AFC playoff field
1. Denver Broncos (14-3) 2. New England Patriots (15-3) 5. Houston Texans (13-5) 6. Buffalo Bills (13-5)
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NFL divisional round schedule
NFC matchups
6. San Francisco 49ers at 1. Seattle Seahawks When: Saturday, Jan. 17 | 8 p.m. ET Location: Lumen Field | Seattle TV: Fox Tickets: Gametime
5. Los Angeles Rams at 2. Chicago Bears When: Sunday, Jan. 18 | 6:30 p.m. ET Location: Soldier Field | Chicago TV: NBC Tickets: Gametime
AFC matchups
6. Buffalo Bills at 1. Denver Broncos When: Saturday, Jan. 17 | 4:30 p.m. ET Location: Empower Field at Mile High | Denver TV: CBS Tickets: Gametime
5. Houston Texans at 2. New England Patriots When: Sunday, Jan. 18 | 3 p.m. ET Location: Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass. TV: ESPN/ABC Tickets: Gametime
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NFL wild-card round results
Saturday, Jan. 10 Los Angeles Rams 34, Carolina Panthers 31 Chicago Bears 31, Green Bay Packers 27
Sunday, Jan. 11 Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24 San Francisco 49ers 23, Philadelphia Eagles 19 New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3
The question probably isn’t whether we just witnessed the greatest wild-card weekend in NFL playoff history (with one game to go). It almost unquestionably was.
The better question might be whether it was the greatest single set of games in any round of NFL playoff history.
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There is an argument to be made it was. In terms of fourth-quarter lead changes, it had blown away the old record for any round after just three games. There were nine lead changes in the fourth quarter of the first three games, and the previous record for a single playoff round was six. Then there were three more in the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the first three games, none of the teams that led at the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter won the game. The Eagles almost made that a clean sweep through four games but their final drive came up just short of a go-ahead touchdown.
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All of the fourth-quarter drama led to the first four games being decided by four or fewer points, the first time that had happened in NFL history.
The greatness of wild-card weekend went beyond stats. There were fantastic clutch drives and game-winning plays by quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, Caleb Williams and Josh Allen. The Panthers were expected to be blown out but surprised everyone by leading the Rams until the final minute of regulation. The Bears had their greatest playoff comeback in team history, and it was one of 12 playoff comebacks in NFL history of 18 or more points.
In terms of the total amount of drama and strong play through the weekend, it’s hard to imagine any set of games over a playoff round being much better.
Colby Parkinson of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after scoring a game-winning touchdown to beat the Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
(Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images)
The New England Patriots’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers was the only dud of the weekend. An 80% hit rate isn’t bad at all. The NFL’s popularity continues to grow, and a phenomenal start to the playoffs, following a regular season that had numerous game of the year candidates, should make for a massive divisional round, in terms of viewership. That has to make their television partners happy.
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The only problem might be the rest of the playoffs living up to the high bar from the wild-card weekend. It won’t be easy.
Here are the rest of the winners and losers from a scintillating wild-card weekend:
WINNERS
Matt Burke: The longer the Houston Texans go on in the playoffs, the better it might be for Burke, Houston’s defensive coordinator.
Usually it’s the opposite for head-coaching candidates. They’re having to juggle getting ready for the next game with interviews for their dream job. But in Burke’s case, every time the Texans play, his resume looks even better.
The Texans defense was responsible for two touchdowns and gave up none in a 30-6 beating of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Burke’s defense has been fantastic all season and was really impressive on a big stage against the Steelers.
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All teams with a head-coaching vacancy will be taking note. There are some good defensive-minded candidates in this cycle, like Brian Flores, Jesse Minter, Chris Shula and Robert Saleh. But each time the Texans play, it becomes more evident that Burke’s defense is the best in the NFL. That could matter to teams setting up those interviews.
That Caleb Williams throw: There were a lot of great storylines from wild-card weekend. Maybe that’s why we didn’t make a bigger deal over one of the better throws you’ll ever see in the playoffs.
On fourth-and-8, with the Bears trailing by 11, Williams was flushed to his left. Without being able to properly turn his body, he contorted his body and got a pass downfield (about 35 yards in the air) to Rome Odunze for a first down. Without that play, the Bears are very unlikely to pull out a 31-27 win that will be celebrated in Chicago for a long time.
The combination of Williams defying physics to get himself in a position to throw, the arm strength, the accuracy and the situation makes it a simply stunning highlight.
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It wasn’t a perfect game from Williams, but still a pretty good one. He had 361 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to DJ Moore in the final two minutes. He did have two interceptions and only completed 50% of his passes — consistent accuracy is the one missing piece from Williams’ game — but the Bears have to be thrilled at where he’s at near the end of his second season.
Sean McDermott: Was McDermott ever on the hot seat this season? We might never find out.
The Buffalo Bills came into the playoffs as the most interesting team in the field. Their range of outcomes was a Super Bowl championship or a first-round exit. Neither would have been a big surprise. But a one-and-done playoff stay, wasting another year of Josh Allen’s prime in a season that saw the Patriots zoom by the Bills in the AFC East, would have made for plenty of criticism about McDermott and whether the Bills had stalled or were even backsliding.
Speculation about major changes in Buffalo seems less likely now. The Bills pulled out a late 27-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, thanks mostly to Allen’s heroics. The Bills are lucky to have Allen. They’re very flawed around him. And often, like Sunday afternoon, it doesn’t matter.
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If the Bills lose at the Denver Broncos on Saturday, there will still be some angst about McDermott and the Bills seeming further away from a Super Bowl than the previous few years. But it also seems much less likely there will be any serious discussions about a change.
Carolina Panthers: For most teams, a playoff loss after an 8-9 season wouldn’t be cause for celebration. But the Panthers should feel OK about what they did.
The Panthers were expected to get blown out by the Los Angeles Rams, but instead they led until the final minute. Matthew Stafford hit Colby Parkinson on a nice play for the game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds left, but the Panthers should still feel pretty good about taking a Super Bowl contender to the brink. The Panthers got a good game from quarterback Bryce Young, and hopefully he can build on that in his fourth season. They have some good, young talent. The Panthers shouldn’t be too confident going into the offseason. They did lose 10 times this season, including Saturday’s loss. But there is more hope in Carolina than there has been in a long time.
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LOSERS
Justin Herbert: Maybe Herbert should be in the winners section. Because no matter how poorly he plays, he never faces the same criticism other quarterbacks do.
Some quarterbacks get ripped no matter how well they play. Others get ripped for potential playoff lossesbefore the postseason even begins. No quarterback goes unscathed from criticism … except Herbert, for some reason. It’s an odd phenomenon.
Herbert has been in the playoffs three times and he has had three bad performances. For the second straight postseason the most disappointing team was the Los Angeles Chargers. Their uncompetitive 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots was a lot like last season’s uncompetitive wild-card weekend loss to the Houston Texans, when Herbert threw four interceptions. On Sunday night, Herbert didn’t surpass 100 passing yards against a good-not-great Patriots defense until deep into the fourth quarter. Yes, Herbert got hit a lot late in the game behind a bad offensive line, but that doesn’t stop people from ripping other quarterbacks.
Herbert is a very good quarterback who hasn’t done well in the playoffs yet. He still has time to turn that around. And in the meantime, he won’t hear much criticism about it.
Nick Sirianni and A.J. Brown: Nothing summed up the Philadelphia Eagles’ season better than the clip of Sirianni running down the sideline to scream at Brown to get off the field, then the receiver shouting back at his coach.
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The Eagles seemed miserable all season. They appeared as unhappy as any division winner coming off a Super Bowl championship as you’ll find. At least they don’t have to be around each other anymore this season.
The Eagles are done after a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that was a good snapshot of their season, and not just for the sideline fights. The offense couldn’t come up with the key plays it needed, not even against a 49ers defense that has been ravaged by injuries.
Now comes an interesting offseason. Everyone seemed to believe that Brown will be traded after a drama-filled season, though we’ll see. There likely needs to be some major changes to the coaching staff after the offense was a mess all season. Something big has to change, because the Eagles don’t want to suffer through another season like this past one.
It will be hard for the NFL to top the drama we saw in wild-card weekend.
There were great games and exciting finishes, but the divisional round often delivers fantastic football as well. We have the top seed in each conference added to the fun, and the six teams that were good enough to survive a tense first round.
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Here is a first look at the divisional round matchups (the fourth matchup will be added after the Texans-Steelers game on Monday night):
NFC
(6) San Francisco 49ers at (1) Seattle Seahawks (Saturday, Jan. 17)
Why the 49ers can win
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh have had phenomenal seasons. It makes no sense how the 49ers have gotten as far as they have given all the injuries to star players, but they keep winning. They won in Philadelphia on wild-card weekend after losing George Kittle to a torn Achilles tendon. It’s hard to see how the 49ers will produce that much offense without Kittle, considering they struggled mightily against Seattle’s defense in Week 18, but Shanahan gives San Francisco a chance. If Saleh’s defense can create some big turnovers from Sam Darnold, maybe they’ll pull off another surprise.
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Why the Seahawks can win
Seattle’s success in the regular season was no fluke. The Seahawks went 14-3 and the three losses were by nine combined points. A defense that led the NFL in points allowed is the foundation. Seattle’s defensive performance in Week 18, holding the 49ers to three points and just 173 yards, was magnificent. The 49ers will adjust for the rematch, but it will be hard to find a solution for a complex defense. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive guru and the team clicked with his scheme this season. Seattle’s offense isn’t bad, either, finishing third in points scored and eighth in yards gained. As long as quarterback Sam Darnold doesn’t make mistakes — that will be a key storyline all postseason — the Seahawks will be tough to beat.
Who has the juice going in
The George Kittle loss might be deflating for most teams, but this 49ers team is used to dealing with adversity. Still, losing a player as important as Kittle will hurt. The Seahawks’ Week 18 stonewalling of the 49ers has to give Seattle confidence, but it allows the 49ers to learn from it and make changes. Seattle has a great home-field advantage with a loud crowd, and that will factor in. The 49ers will be ready, but it will be a daunting task to win at Seattle.
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(5) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Chicago Bears (Sunday, Jan. 18)
Why the Rams can win
Is it possible Matthew Stafford will win MVP and isn’t unquestionably the best player on his team? Puka Nacua has been on a great run whenever he has been healthy this season, and that continued in the wild-card round with 111 yards against the Panthers. The combination of Stafford and Nacua is probably the best still remaining in the playoffs. And the Rams have plenty more around them, whether it’s Davante Adams, Kyren Williams leading the run game, productive tight ends or a defense that gets a lot of disruption from the front seven. They’re also very well coached by Sean McVay. The Rams are the rare wild-card team that is clearly a viable Super Bowl contender.
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Why the Bears can win
The Bears are one of those teams that finds different, and usually dramatic, ways to win. They certainly know how to win close games. They had eight wins in one-score games, including a wild comeback to beat the Packers in the wild-card round. Caleb Williams continues to make incredible highlight throws and often does it in critical situations. The offense as a whole has continued to improve under Ben Johnson’s watch, and continued improvements from a pair of rookies, tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III, have been big factors. Chicago can get big plays against the Rams’ secondary, which is their most obvious weakness. The Bears don’t blow many teams out, but 12 times this season they’ve come up with a win.
Caleb Williams celebrates after the Bears knocked off the Packers in a wild-card playoff game. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
(Todd Rosenberg via Getty Images)
Who has the juice going in
The Rams might be the better team, but the Bears have to feel like they are a team of destiny after that Packers victory. They trailed by 18 at halftime and somehow came back to beat their biggest rival. The Rams came back, too, but barely beating a Carolina team that went 8-9 in the regular season wasn’t impressive. The Rams had a bit of a slump late in the season and nearly losing to the Panthers shouldn’t convince anyone they’ve snapped out of it.
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AFC
(6) Buffalo Bills at (1) Denver Broncos (Saturday, Jan. 17)
Why the Bills can win
Pretty simple: They have Josh Allen. Allen covers up a lot of the Bills’ issues, and we saw that happen again in a dramatic comeback win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round. Allen put together a game-winning drive after the Jaguars took a lead with a little more than four minutes remaining. His flat-footed throw downfield to Brandin Cooks for a 36-yard gain, with the Jaguars’ rush about to sack him, was a key play on Buffalo’s winning drive and not one that many quarterbacks can make. If you believe in the idea that having the best quarterback is a major edge in any playoff game, you have to like Buffalo’s chances.
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Why the Broncos can win
The Broncos aren’t the first team to be a playoff threat with an uneven offense and a fierce defense. The defense, and the pass rush in particular, carried the Broncos. Denver had a league-best 68 sacks, 11 more than any other team. The offense has its moments too, but it often waits until late in games to start making plays. Bo Nix has been fine after a strong rookie season, but he has been inconsistent. The Broncos have a fantastic coach in Sean Payton and that helps in the many close games they find themselves in. And those reps in close games will help in the postseason.
Who has the juice going in
You’d think a 14-3 team coming in off the bye would be feeling great, but it’s hard to be comfortable given how the offense has disappeared for long stretches. That includes a poor performance in Week 18 when the offense didn’t score a touchdown in a 19-3 win over a Chargers team that was resting starters. The Bills got a reminder of what they are in wild-card weekend: a flawed team that has a superstar quarterback that can dig it out of plenty of jams. Josh Allen is a special player, and that gives the Bills all the juice they need most weeks.
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(5) Houston Texans at (2) New England Patriots (Sunday, Jan. 17)
Why the Texans can win
Well, it’s not their offense. The Texans defense is either the best in the NFL or on a very short list. In the wild-card round the defense scored two touchdowns against the Steelers while giving up none. Houston’s pass rush is intense and they are strong in coverage and against the run too. There’s no real weakness. If you beat the Texans, who have now won an NFL-best 10 games in a row, it will be because you’ve shut down their middling offense and squeezed out a few points on their defense. And Houston’s offense got a nice boost against the Steelers when rookie running back Woody Marks had 112 yards. The Texans don’t produce much on offense but thanks to the defense, they don’t need many points to win.
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Why the Patriots can win
Drake Maye has looked like one of two realistic choices for NFL MVP all season. This week is a big chance to make yet another statement in his breakout season, against a Texans defense that gave up the fewest yards in the NFL this season. Great quarterbacks can make a massive difference in the playoffs, and Maye has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks all season. It will be a fascinating matchup between Maye and the Texans’ defense. The Patriots defense was great against the Chargers in the wild-card round and has an easier matchup against a Texans offense that hasn’t been very good all season and might be without receiver Nico Collins, who left Monday night’s game after he was evaluated for a concussion.
Who has the juice going in
It’s hard to say it’s not the team that has won 10 games in a row. The Texans defense has been fantastic all season. Their pass rush sets the tone, but they play well at all levels. They present a matchup nightmare. But it’s not like the Patriots are limping in. They’ve won 14 of 15 games including last week’s decisive win over the Chargers. Both teams will feel confident. The Texans feel great about their defense against anyone and the Patriots have full trust in Maye. Let’s call this a push for what should be a fantastic matchup.
Nate Tice & Matt Harmon join forces to recap the Houston Texans dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of NFL Wild Card Weekend. The duo discuss the Texans offense coming to life, how the defense shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh offense, their chances against the New England Patriots next weekend and what the future of the Steelers could look like.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 12: Woody Marks #27 of the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans celebrate after a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter of an NFL wild card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, making the playoffs doesn’t mean much anymore if the team can’t win a game once they’re in.
That has been the frustration for years. The script for Mike Tomlin’s Steelers has been way too familiar lately. The Steelers have often snuck into the playoffs but aren’t seen as championship contenders, and then they go one-and-done in the postseason. The last seven times Pittsburgh has made the playoffs, they’ve failed to win a game. Tomlin’s seventh straight playoff loss ties Marvin Lewis’ NFL record.
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That’s what made Monday night a frustrating and also predictable result. The Steelers got into the playoffs again, this time with Aaron Rodgers. But this version of Rodgers is far from his MVP form. The Steelers’ offense did very little against a fierce Texans defense and had a quiet playoff exit with a 30-6 loss to the Texans.
Rodgers had two turnovers returned for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, a fumble recovery for a score and a pick-6 in which Rodgers made a feeble attempt at a tackle down the sideline. If that was a legend’s last quarter in the NFL, it was an unceremonious exit. If Rodgers retires, that pick-6 will end up being the final pass of his career. He was replaced by Mason Rudolph after that. He finished with just 146 yards on 33 attempts.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers told reporters postgame of whether that indeed was his final game as an NFL player.
While Rodgers’ future is up in the air, it is clear for the Texans, who move on and will face the New England Patriots on Sunday in the divisional round at 3 p.m. ET.
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It won’t take long for the conversation to shift about what comes next for the Steelers. It could have been the final game of Rodgers’ long and great career. He has hinted that he could return next season but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if he called it a career after 21 seasons. The more complicated situation will be with Tomlin.
Many Steelers fans have wanted Tomlin out for a few years, fed up with being barely above average year after year. They chanted “Fire Tomlin” at a home loss to the Bills earlier this season. Steelers ownership has resisted making any change. Another playoff loss will lead to more speculation.
There were some fun moments for the Steelers this season with Rodgers and Tomlin. Things could look entirely different next season.
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Tomlin was reserved about the speculation on his future in Pittsburgh.
“I’m not in the big-picture mindset,” Tomlin said.
Both offenses struggle
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Monday night’s game quickly settled into a defensive battle.
The Texans are built to play low-scoring games with their stellar defense and mediocre offense. The defense came out strong against Rodgers and the Steelers. Even after C.J. Stroud lost a fumble at Houston’s 21-yard line, the defense picked him up. The Texans held the Steelers to a short field goal despite the great field position. The Steelers did not score a touchdown the entire night.
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The Texans got a touchdown on their one good drive of the first half. They went 92 yards and Stroud hit Christian Kirk for a 6-yard touchdown catch. That was enough for a 7-6 halftime lead for Houston.
The Texans have gotten by all season on defense. With the way the offense was playing, the defense was going to have to carry the team to a win. Even if it meant scoring themselves.
Houston’s D breaks it open
The Texans got a field goal early in the fourth quarter, then came the play that broke the game open. Rodgers was sacked by Will Anderson Jr. and Sheldon Rankins and fumbled. By the time Rankins ended up recovering it he was behind the Steelers’ offense, and had a clear path for a 33-yard touchdown return.
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The Texans led 17-6 after that and it was hard to see the Steelers’ offense scoring 11 more points in the fourth quarter. It was definitely over with 3:38 left when Woody Marks scored on a 13-yard touchdown run. A pick 6 from Calen Bullock in the final minutes added to the embarrassment. As was the case for most of the season, the Steelers had little downfield passing game, and a dink-and-dunk approach wasn’t going to get them far against a strong Texans defense. Fans started booing the Steelers’ offense in the fourth quarter, and it was justified. The offense was inept, regardless of the opponent.
If this is it for Rodgers, it’s not the ending he wanted, playing out the final minutes of a lopsided game in which his team didn’t score a touchdown, with his offense being booed with every failed play. Rodgers has a long personal playoff drought as well. Rodgers’ last playoff win came at the end of the 2020 season against the Los Angeles Rams with only 7,439 fans attending due to COVID-19 restrictions. He played well this season considering the history of quarterbacks at age 42 or older, but there were limitations. Against a good defense like Houston, the Steelers had little chance. Even if the Steelers managed to beat a team that struggles to move the ball like the Texans, winning beyond that was unlikely. Rodgers’ time with the Steelers, if it is over, will be remembered for an unlikely division title and an uncompetitive playoff loss.
The end of Tomlin’s long and successful tenure could also be remembered in a bittersweet way, as much for the playoff failures in the second half of his time with Pittsburgh as the long-ago Super Bowl win. Whether Tomlin returns will be a decision the Steelers have to make, unless Tomlin decides to step down. The team might not have a choice on what happens next at quarterback.
Live coverage is over33 updates
Jason Owens
Jason Owens
That’s it. Houston’s defense was dominant and finally broke the Steelers in the second half as a 7-6 lead turned into a 30-6 Texans rout.
The Texans advance to face the New England Patriots next Sunday in the divisional round with two of the most punishing defenses in football squaring off.
But in the immediate, the attention will turn to Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is believed to have played his last NFL game Monday night, but he hasn’t yet confirmed. Tomlin’s future with the Steelers is unclear after another first-round playoff exit.
Jason Owens
Adding insult to injury, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception that Calen Bullock returned 50 yards for a touchdown. Houston’s lead is now 30-6, and if that’s Rodgers’ last game, it’s a tough way to go out.
Jason Owens
That’ll do it. Woody Marks capped an 87-yard drive with a touchdown run, and the Texans have a 24-6 lead with 3:38 remaining.
Pittsburgh’s out of gas, and Houston will advance to face the New England Patriots in the divisional round next Sunday. Pittsburgh will leave the playoffs without a win again, and questions will swirl about Mike Tomlin’s future with the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers’ future playing football.
Ryan Young
It wasn’t a three-and-out, but it was close. The Texans were getting to Aaron Rodgers so easily there, sacking him on first down and then forcing back-to-back completions to force yet another punt. The Texans defense is completely running things tonight.
Houston will take back over with 9:29 left.
Ryan Young
Will Anderson just drilled Aaron Rodgers hard in the backfield, knocking the ball loose. Sheldon Rankins was there to recover it, and he took it all the way back for a huge touchdown. Suddenly, the Texans are in full control of this game early in the fourth quarter.
They now lead 17-6 with 11:23 left.
Ryan Young
Fairbairn drilled a 51-yarder to cap that drive, and the Texans lead 10-6 now early in the fourth quarter. We’ll see what Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense, which has struggled to do much of anything so far in the second half, can respond with next.
Ryan Young
Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was just carted off the field and is now being evaluated for a concussion. He took a big hit and hit his head awkwardly on the turf there on that last drive for the Texans, and left the field with a towel over his head.
Jason Owens
We’re still searching for the first points of the second half.
Danielle Hunter sacked Aaron Rodgers on third down and forced a fumble that the Steelers were lucky to recover. A Houston recovery could have ended with a Texans touchdown.
But the sack forced a fourth down and another Steelers punt. Houston now has two sacks of Rodgers, six quarterback hits and forced Rodgers into a drive-killing intentional grounding penalty.
Houston has the ball back and a 7-6 lead with 1:29 left in the third quarter.
Jason Owens
The Steelers forced a 3-and-out and remarkably have a chance to take a lead late despite being dominated all night by Houston’s defense. Pittsburgh has the ball with a 7-6 deficit and 3:42 remaining in the third quarter.
Jason Owens
The Steelers finally converted on third down for the first time in seven tries.
But their next attempt failed on third-and-12 when an Aaron Rodgers deep ball to Calvin Austin fell incomplete. There was contact downfield with Kamari Lassiter that caused Austin to stumble, but it was incidental as their feet got tangled up.
No pass interference. Houston has the ball back and a 7-6 lead.
Jason Owens
C.J. Stroud is keeping the Steelers in this game.
Houston marched 61 yards on 7 plays and appeared ready to take control of this game to start the second half. But C.J. Stroud threw an interception to Brandin Echols on third-and-4 in the red zone, and the Steelers have new life thanks to Stroud’s third turnover of the game.
Can they do anything with the ball against this ferocious Texans defense?
Jason Owens
Houson has the ball first to start the second half and a chance to build on a 7-6 lead.
Jason Owens
Houston’s largely in control of this game, but is limited to a 7-6 lead thanks to a pair of lost C.J. Stroud fumbles.
Houston’s defense is swarming Pittsburgh and held the Steelers without a third-down conversion in the first half. The Houston run game is the best offensive unit on the field and has 84 yards on 5.4 yards per carry.
But Stroud has lost two fumbles on strip sacks to allow the Steelers to keep things close.
Halftime stats
Aaron Rodgers: 9 of 15, 79 yards, 0 TDs, 0 turnovers, 1 sack, 1 intentional grounding Jaylen Warren: 5 carries for 14 yards DK Metcalf: 2 catches for 42 yards, 1 drop
C.J. Stroud: 13 or 20, 118 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 2 sacks, 2 lost fumbles Woody Marks: 11 carries for 59 yards Nick Chubb: 4 carries for 23 yards Christian Kirk: 5 catches for 58 yards, 1 TD
Team stats Steelers offense: 70 yards on 3.9 yards per play Texans offense: 112 yards on 5.2 yards per play
Steelers 3rd downs: 0 for 6 Texans 3rd downs: 7 for 9
Steelers turnovers: 0 Texans turnovers: 2
Jason Owens
The Texans didn’t cross midfield on their final drive before halftime, and they’ll go into the break with a 7-6 lead.
This game was billed as a defensive struggle and is living up to its billing. Each team is getting pressure on the opposing quarterback and forcing mistakes.
C.J. Stroud has two lost fumbles on strip sacks. Aaron Rodgers has taken one sack and committed intentional grounding, both of which stunted Steelers drives.
Jason Owens
Houston’s pass rush is making its mark.
The Texans collapsed the pocket and sacked Aaron Rodgers on third-and-goal from the 8. The Steelers settled for their second field goal of the night to cut Houston’s lead to 7-6. Houston will look to add to its lead with just under 2 minutes remaining before halftime.
Jason Owens
The Steelers are back in business.
Keeanu Benton got a strip sack of C.J. Stroud for Stroud’s second lost fumble of the night. T.J. Watt recovered the loose ball, and Pittsburgh takes over deep in Houston territory.
Jason Owens
More good news for the Texans. Running back Woody Marks is back in the game after spending some time in the sideline medical tent.
Jason Owens
It wasn’t a sack, but it was just as good.
Danielle Hunter got pressure on Aaron Rodgers and forced the Steelers quarterback into a quick pass. Rodgers did not have a target in sight and got called for intentional grounding for an 11-yard loss.
The Steelers punted two plays later, and the Texans have the ball back with a 7-3 lead.
Jason Owens
Houston’s offense has seized control of the game. The Texans marched 92 yards on 14 plays and capped the drive with a 6-yard play-action touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Christian Kirk.
The Texans ran at will on the drive with Nick Chubb and the now injured Woody Marks and are up to 74 rushing yards on 13 carries (5.7 yards per attempt). This is the blueprint for Houston’s offense.
Houston leads 7-3 midway through the second quarter.
Jason Owens
Starting Texans running back Woody Marks is out of the game after hitting the back of his head on the turf. He’s headed to the blue medical tent and will presumably be evaluated for a concussion.
Nick Chubb will take over primary running back duties if Marks can’t go.
Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to talk about his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers just yet.
And in the immediate aftermath of his team’s rough 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs Monday night, which ended Pittsburgh’s season, it’s hard to blame the longtime Steelers head coach.
“I’m not even in that mindset as I sit here tonight,” Tomlin said when asked about his future with the team, via Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein. “I’m more in the mindset of what transpired in this stadium, and certainly what we did or didn’t do. I’m not in the big-picture mindset.”
There has been plenty of questions and speculation about Tomlin’s future in recent weeks as the Steelers had to fight their way into the final playoff spot in the AFC. While Tomlin has accomplished a remarkable amount in his nearly two decades leading the franchise, it’s easy to understand why.
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Tomlin has never had a losing record in his 19 seasons running the Steelers, which marks his only head coaching job in the NFL. He helped them win a Super Bowl during the 2008 campaign, and he’s been to the playoffs now 13 times. Undoubtedly, he’ll retire as one of the better coaches in the history of the league whenever he chooses to do so.
But recently, especially after longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired, things have stalled in Pittsburgh. The organization has not won a playoff game since the 2017 season despite making it in five of the past six seasons.
The fact that some think Tomlin is on the “hot seat,” at least according to quarterback Aaron Rodgers — who may have played his last NFL game himself — is ridiculous.
“This league has changed a lot in my 21 years. When you hear conversations about the Mike Tomlin’s of the world, the Matt LaFleur’s of the world … when I first got in the league there wouldn’t be conversations about whether those guys were on the hot seat,” Rodgers said, also referencing the Green Bay Packers head coach.
“But the way the league is covered now and the way that there’s snap decisions and the validity given to the Twitter experts and all the experts on TV now who make it seem like they know what the hell they’re talking about, to me that’s an absolute joke.”
Tomlin has two years left on his current contract with the Steelers, and there is a team option on his deal for 2027. The Steelers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, have to decide whether to pick up that option by March 1.
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According to Schefter, nobody within the organization expects the Steelers to actually fire Tomlin. The Steelers haven’t fired a head coach since 1968. When Tomlin and the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada during the 2023 season, it was the first in-season coordinator change the franchise has had in more than 80 years. The franchise simply doesn’t make these types of changes.
If that’s the case, the Steelers will only have a new coach next season if Tomlin opts to walk away from the game himself. And that’s certainly a possibility.
But any talk about that, Tomlin said, will take place Tuesday and beyond.
“It’s not time for talk,” he said. “We agreed we’ll meet tomorrow and go from there. When you’re in this single elimination tournament, there’s not a whole lot to talk about. You win or you go home.”
With a 3-pointer early in the second half Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, Harden scored his 28,598th career point. The bucket moved him into ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, ahead of Shaquille O’Neal.
“The most dominant big man in the history of the game,” Harden said after the 117-109 win, reflecting on O’Neal. “It’s a true honor. It’s a testament to the work that I put in, and it’s all glory to God.”
Harden moved into the top 10 in December with a free throw against the Orlando Magic, which pushed him ahead of Carmelo Anthony. He entered Monday’s game with 28,582 career points, trailing O’Neal’s tally of 28,596 by just 14. He passed O’Neal in his 1,187th game, slightly ahead of O’Neal’s pace of 1,207 career games played. Harden reached his tally after playing his first three NBA seasons off the bench in Oklahoma City.
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The all-time scoring list does not consider combined NBA and ABA scoring. If ABA scoring is taken into consideration, Julius Irving (30,026 points) and Moses Malone (29,580) round out the top 10, ahead of Harden and O’Neal. Regardless, it’s a remarkable feat, even if Harden’s style of play has earned him a legion of detractors.
In addition to his immense talent and hard work, Harden’s game is very much a product of modern analytics, which doesn’t always produce compelling basketball for viewers. He has generated more than 18,000 of his points from the free-throw line or beyond the 3-point arc, meaning that roughly one-third of his points have come from mid-range or scoring at the basket.
Harden’s detractors would also be quick to point out that he’s one of only two players in the top 10 without an NBA championship; Karl Malone is the other. But while Harden’s reputation for foul baiting doesn’t make for the most aesthetically pleasing form of basketball, it’s certainly effective, as the numbers bear out. There’s no denying that he’s one of the great offensive weapons in the history of the game.
At 36 years old, Harden remains an elite scorer (25.6 ppg) with a chance to move further into the top 10. That said, he’ll be stuck at No. 9 for a while. Next on the list is Wilt Chamberlain, who is nearly 3,000 points ahead of Harden with 31,419.
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Then comes Kevin Durant (31,458 as of Monday), who passed Chamberlain last week for seventh and, like Harden, is showing few signs of slowing down, with 26.1 points per game in his age-37 season.
LeBron James is the only other active player in the top 10. His all-time record of 42,601 points (and counting) is almost certainly out of Harden’s reach.
