The Pittsburgh Steelers snuck into the playoffs, thanks to a missed field goal by Tyler Loop that would have been the game-winner for the Baltimore Ravens. With the results of Week 18, Mike Tomlin's team finished with a 10-7 record and claimed the AFC North crown.
The Steelers will host a playoff game at Acrisure Stadium in the Wild Card round. As the No. 4 seed, Pittsburgh will get the Houston Texans in a Monday night game that will put the exclamation point on the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.
But one of two impressive streaks is sure to end when the clock ticks down on the Steelers-Texans game.
Let's start with the Texans. After a 3-5 start to the 2025 season, Houston won nine straight games to close out the year, including impressive wins over Jacksonville and Buffalo. Only two of these games were decided by a field goal. The Texans are now in search of their 10th straight win as they come to Pittsburgh and look to advance to the Divisional Round.
However, the Steelers' jaw-dropping streak seems to be the one everyone is talking about. Pittsburgh has won 23 straight games on Monday Night Football—this is no small number. However, as FanSided editor Asher Fair recently pointed out, there's an asterisk next to this record.
There was a 24th game that was pushed back to Monday evening during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the Steelers lost to the Washington Football Team. Fair also notes that the Steelers were favored in 21 of the 23 contests during this home winning streak on Monday Night Football.
Both streaks are undeniably impressive, but when the Steelers host the Texans on Monday night, one of these phenomenal runs will end.
The Houston Texans' winning streak holds more weight than the Pittsburgh Steelers' home MNF record
There's no question that the setting of NFL games is important. Teams are generally better at home, and while the Steelers historically struggle immensely on the road in Thursday night games, they tend to excel at home on long weeks on Monday Night Football.
However, this record doesn't hold as much weight as the Texans' current winning streak.
The Steelers' home winning streak on MNF, which began in 1992, has spanned multiple generations with no remaining players or coaches from when the streak started. And what happened 30 years ago has no bearing on Mike Tomlin and his current roster. Although the Steelers have a home-field advantage, we shouldn't read too much into a streak that this current team and coaching staff have no connection to.
With the Texans, it's just the opposite.
It's this exact team and coaching staff that is responsible for their current nine-game winning streak and for boasting arguably the league's best defense. Likewise, the recency of this streak means it holds much more weight, as it's a direct sign that Houston is playing excellent football—right here, right now.
Streaks are made to be broken, and something's got to give when the Steelers and Texans square off in the Wild Card round on MNF.