3) Defensive struggles could come down to kickers
On paper, Houston has a slight offensive advantage, but observers of both teams will admit that neither boasts an explosive offense. Houston has the edge defensively, which means we could be in for a low-scoring affair in Pittsburgh — which also means the outcome could rely heavily on the right legs of Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell and Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn. In a normal year, that wouldn’t be a problem for Steelers fans; Boswell has been very reliable in his 11 years in Pittsburgh. But Boswell posted his lowest field goal conversion percentage (84.4) since 2022 this season, and while that didn’t hurt them, Steelers fans might still get a glimpse of Boswell missing an extra point that opened the door for the Ravens to nearly win the Week 18 AFC North title game in practice. Fairbairn, meanwhile, has been an absolute stud in 2025, proving to be one of the most reliable point producers on the Texans’ roster by routinely drilling kicks attempted at or near the rim. Under 50 yards, he is a perfect 35-for-35 this season and has posted a 91.7 completion percentage overall (four of his misses have come from 50-plus yards, but he has converted 9 of 13 such attempts). It’s not the most enticing tone for a playoff game, but we all know these games can often rest on the foot of the kicker – and we’re in for a battle of strongmen on Monday night.