A mishap that occurs once is an accident. A second occurrence is a habit waiting to form. The Pittsburgh Steelers were blessed with access to the AFC playoff bracket, but January football has a way of stripping teams down to their true identities. In this space, bad habits are exposed, and good habits are rewarded.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin understands that reality better than most, and he isn’t shying away from one of his team’s most glaring tendencies: allowing opposing wide receivers to tilt the game.
Tomlin has seen this movie before. The latest example arrived in the tail end of a heated Week 18 grudge match against Baltimore. With the season on the line, Lamar Jackson leaned heavily on Zay Flowers, who carved up the Steelers' secondary for 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Both were in the fourth quarter. It was a fighting effort that nearly kept the Ravens’ season alive, and for Pittsburgh, it served as a reminder that playoff football leaves no room for repeated mistakes.
Now, the challenge shifts to Monday night, when the Houston Texans arrive at Acrisure Stadium for a Wild Card showdown. This time, the name circled in bold red ink is Nico Collins. Tomlin made it clear early in the week that Collins is not just another weapon—he’s the weapon.
“He’s a big one-on-one playmaker,” Tomlin shared with reporters Tuesday.
“He makes big boy catches. He can run through traffic and run in-breaking routes. He’s good down the field on 50-50 balls.”
No lies were told.
The Pittsburgh Steelers can redeem themselves by locking up Nico Collins
Collins has quietly put together an elite season, ranking ninth in the league with 1,117 receiving yards and sixth in yards per reception at 15.7. He’s found the end zone six times and has firmly established himself as C.J. Stroud’s primary target. When Houston needs a momentum-shifting play—third and long, late in the half, or deep down the field—Stroud looks for No. 12. That trust doesn’t happen by accident.
Tomlin knows that letting Collins get comfortable would be the fastest way to let bad habits resurface. Eliminating him isn’t just a defensive goal; it’s a playoff necessity.
That task will likely fall into the hands of Joey Porter Jr., who may end up being Collins’ closest companion Monday night. And honestly, that’s what makes this matchup so intriguing. Porter Jr. has grown up quickly in his first full season, playing with the confidence and edge that Steelers fans crave. He has yet to allow a touchdown and is holding opposing quarterbacks to a 47.4 percent completion rate when targeted.
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Those numbers don’t guarantee success in January, but they provide a foundation for belief.
This is a battle within the war—a chess match inside a collision sport. Collins brings size, physicality, and downfield dominance. Porter Jr. counters with length and a refusal to blink. And standing over it all is Tomlin, fully aware that playoff games are often decided by one player who wasn’t allowed to take over.
The Steelers don’t need perfection Monday night.
They need awareness, urgency, and accountability. Tomlin is preparing his troops accordingly, making it clear that if Pittsburgh is going to keep dancing in January, it starts by breaking a bad habit—and making sure Nico Collins never gets the chance to become the story.