The Houston Texans are a better football team than the Pittsburgh Steelers on paper, especially on defense. However, the Steelers still have several key trends and advantages on their side heading into Monday’s Wild Card Round showdown with the Texans.
A big one is home-field advantage, as Acrisure Stadium is hosting a postseason game for the first time in five years.
Part of that advantage involves the weather. Pittsburgh is used to playing outdoors and in the cold, whereas Houston is a warm-weather team that plays indoors.
The temperature is expected to be in the low 30s at kickoff on Monday night, which gives the Steelers a giant historical edge.
Over the last 10 years, dome teams are 1-14 in the playoffs when playing on the road with temperatures below 40 degrees at kickoff. That includes the Texans, who are 0-4 in such contests.
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“Do not ignore the weather-related facts surrounding this game that we talked about earlier this week. These ones are real,” Boston radio host Jim Murray said on Friday afternoon’s episode of “Felger & Mazz.” “The bottom line is this. If the Patriots or the Steelers lose this weekend, it will be a near-historic loss. Just go with the weather.”
Unlike New England, Pittsburgh is a home underdog for Monday’s showdown, which is expected to be close and low-scoring. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Steelers pull off a home upset for the second week in a row, especially given how well Aaron Rodgers plays in the cold.
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Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images