The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the AFC North and will get to host the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in the first round. Sure. Pittsburgh has a very impressive streak of winning home games on Monday night, but that won't matter if they can't solve this Rubik's Cube of a defense that Houston boasts. Of course, there is also the narrative of how this team has been outscored 63-0 in the first quarter of its last five playoff games, which were all losses. One of these streaks will fall for sure, but the big question is which one?
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Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell and tight end Connor Heyward celebrate in Steelers 28-15 win on Monday Night Football against Miami Dolphins.
Defeating the Texans starts with slowing down their elite pass rush. While making an appearance on 105.9 The X, insider Gerry Dulac was asked about how the Steelers can manage that. To him, it all starts with one young stud making sure everyone knows his name.
"[Troy] Fautanu, he’s a star in the making. It’s only a matter of time -- if it isn’t already -- where the rest of the league is going to catch up and realize how good this guy is," Dulac said. "One on one, they rely on him in those individual matchups, and it's not like that guy's going to be out there and be a liability or get torched, because it's just the opposite. Troy Fautanu is very, very good, and you can see why they just loved him when they took him in the draft."
After missing almost his entire rookie season, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu has blossomed into the stud that they expected him to be in April of 2024. Scouts thought he needed to move to guard to be elite, but he has proven them all wrong with his great play in 2025. There has been nothing but amazing things said about him all season long as he has become one of, if not the best right tackle in the league.
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Steelers offensive lineman Troy Fautanu (76) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Fautanu will have the tough task of keeping Will Anderson Jr. off of his quarterback. The former Rookie of the Year has 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries on the season, one of which was a touchdown. Every year, he just gets better and better while acting as the cornerstone for this feared defense, as nearly every single stat of his in 2025 is a career best. Shutting him down won't be easy.
The Steelers won't be able to help both offensive tackles pass block all game long, so they will most likely leave Fautanu on an island and put more help on Aaron Rodgers' blind side. Anderson is most likely a tougher matchup on the edge than the young lineman has had to face in the 2025 season. Of course, the best players shine the brightest in the biggest moments, so this could be the game where the whole football world learns his name.
Steelers May Not Have A Ton Of Trouble On Edge
In Anderson's last six games in the regular season, he has only had 1.5 sacks, six quarterback hits, and no takeaways or passes defended. After his monster game against the Buffalo Bills, he has slowed way down. Of course, he is still one of the most talented players at that position in the AFC, but maybe there's a little trick that opposing teams have found to slow him down, and the Steelers could use that as well.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Rookie Troy Fautanu in his first preseason game versus the Houston Texans.
Even if that is the case, the Texans still have absolute studs all over their defense, and they have proven that they can play great whether Anderson has a great or rough game. The plan may start with Fautanu slowing him down, but it definitely does not end there. There are still many other great players that will wreck the game if the Steelers do not give them enough attention.
What do you think about the Fautanu vs. Anderson matchup in the Wild Card Round? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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