How to watch tonight's Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans Wild Card playoff game on "Monday Night Football"
It's the Wild Card round of the NFL schedule and it's win or go home for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans who are squaring off tonight in a "Monday Night Football" playoff matchup at Acrisure Stadium. Here's how you can watch the game.
Pittsburgh (10-7) earned its spot in the postseason as the No. 4 seed with a thrilling 26-24 win against Baltimore last Sunday night that came down to the wire with Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missing a game-winning field goal opportunity as time expired that would've ended the Steelers' season.
The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 NFL season when Pittsburgh defeated Miami and Kansas City en route to an AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots. The Steelers have lost six straight postseason games.
Last week, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers won his first playoff game since 2021, helping propel Pittsburgh to victory with a stellar 4th quarter performance.
Rodgers completed 11 of 14 passes in the 4th quarter for 133 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds remaining in the game that proved to be the game-winner.
Star linebacker T.J. Watt returned to the lineup for the Steelers last week after missing several games after he suffered a partially collapsed lung during a dry needling treatment.
Wide receiver DK Metcalf will return to the lineup for Pittsburgh tonight. Metcalf was forced to sit out the last two games for the Steelers when he was suspended after getting into an altercation with a fan during the team's Week 16 game against the Detroit Lions.
Pittsburgh has won 23 straight "Monday Night Football" home games dating back to 1992.
Houston (12-5) qualified for the postseason as the No. 5 seed and enters tonight's game on a nine-game winning streak with a defense that ranked best in the NFL this season in yards allowed per game and points allowed per game.
The Texans' defense, led by stars Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and Derek Stingley, held teams to 17.3 points and 277.2 yards per game this season.
Houston has never won a road playoff game, losing all six of their postseason contests away from home dating back to 2011.
A little Playoff primer for you
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) January 6, 2026
HOU: 6-2 in team history in playoff games at home, 0-6 in playoffs on the road
Kickoff between the Steelers and Texans for tonight's Wild Card playoff game is set for 8:15 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Where can you stream the Steelers vs. Texans playoff game?
Out-of-market fans can stream the game through the NFL's subscription service, NFL+.
The Wild Card finale on ESPN is officially set 🤩
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 5, 2026
Watch Texans-Steelers Jan. 12 on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App 🏈 pic.twitter.com/WBPwt7sU6b
Fans can also stream the Steelers vs. Texans game via ESPN.
How can you watch the Steelers vs. Texans playoff game on cable?
Fans looking to tune into the playoff game between the Steelers and the Texans can watch the game on WTAE-TV in the Pittsburgh market and nationally on ESPN.
Joe Buck will be on the call for play-by-play with analysis from Troy Aikman and sideline reporting from Lisa Salters.
The channel numbers can vary depending on your TV provider and whether you are watching live over the air or through a cable/satellite service.
Who is favored and predicted to win the Steelers vs. Texans playoff game?
The Steelers entered the Wild Card playoff matchup against Houston as 3.5-point betting underdogs, according to CBS Sports.