NFL Week 4 Game Recap: Houston Texans 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 6

The Pittsburgh Steelers went to Texas in search of a win but left with a loss to the now 2-2 Houston Texans. The Steelers' loss came at a price, too, as starting quarterback Kenny Pickett looked to suffer a serious knee injury in the contest.

Offensive spotlight: Texans’ offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik drew up a perfect game plan, allowing rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and this young Houston offense to survive the Steelers defense.

Houston’s offense did an excellent job at limiting opportunities for Pittsburgh's top-tier pass rush, as the Steelers didn’t record a single sack in this game. 

Stroud went 16-for-30 for 306 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Nico Collins factored in heavily, earning nine targets that he was able to take for 168 yards and two scores.

One of the more impressive play calls was drawn up in the fourth quarter in a goal-to-go situation, as running back Devin Singletary threw a touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Schultz, which was enough to put this game out of reach for the Steelers.

Look at the spiral ????‍???? pic.twitter.com/sY3esfVTuz

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 1, 2023

The Steelers’ greatest offensive weapon in this game was former first-round running back Najee Harris, who led the team in rushing attempts (14) and yards (71), averaging 5.1 yards per carry on the day. Harris also led the team in receiving yards with just 32 yards on one reception.

Defensive spotlight: The entire Texans’ defense being able to hold the Steelers offense to fewer than 250 yards on the day deserves credit, but specifically, the ability to create consistent pressure stood out as a key to their win today. Houston’s pass rush generated around 20 total pressures for the day, including two sacks from edge defender Jonathan Greenard.

Rookie spotlight: Texans’ rookie linebacker Henry To’oTo’o played an every-down role in DeMeco Ryans’ defense for the first time in his young career and delivered a solid day overall. To’oTo’o finished second on the team in total tackles (seven) and came up with a forced incompletion near the goal line in the third quarter. 

Box Score

Passing

Rushing

Receiving