Comparing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive and defensive units against those of the Houston Texans, there’s no doubt which bunch has had the best season.

It’s Houston’s defense.

That group allowed the fewest yards (4,713) in the NFL during the regular season, as well as the second fewest points (17.4). It can also boast the third most takeaways (29) and the sixth most sacks (47).

Coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense also has four players who were either a 2025 Pro Bowler, or a first/second team All-Pro: Azeez Al-Shaair (LB), Will Anderson Jr. (DB), Danielle Hunter (DE) and Derek Stingley Jr. (CB).

“They’ve just got a kick-butt unit,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “They’ve got a top-flight edge tandem in Hunter and Anderson. They’ve got a top-flight corner tandem on the outside (Stingley and Kamari Lassiter). They rush very well. They cover very well. They’re not trying to split the atom schematically. They don’t have to when you have corners and edge rushers like that.”

The next best unit on the field should be the Steelers’ defense.

Emphasis on “should.”

On their best days, both offensive units are capable-to-above-average, and a liability on their worst days.

The least likely outcome of Monday night’s playoff game between the two clubs is some sort of offensive fireworks show. That’s why the Steelers defense has to be at least the second-best unit on the field Monday night.

And the gap between Tomlin’s defense and Ryans’ can’t be very much.

“They’ve got a lot of good playmakers and have been playing well all year. I feel like we’ve got a great defense too. It’s one of those battles. We want to come out on top of that,” Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer said. “Every time we hit the field, we’re trying to be the best unit in football. Lately, we were playing better and making steps. Now in the playoffs, that’s a good time for us to put our best stuff out there every play.”

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Some of the NFL’s basic defensive stats seem to belie how the season has gone for the Steelers. They rank 17th in points allowed (22.8), 13th in rushing yards allowed per game (113.1) and 13th in yielding yards per play (5.5).

Certainly, that’s not reflective of the “historic” defense this group was predicted to be by its coach, but it’s not terrible.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as saying Pittsburgh’s defense merely went through 2025 being “good, not great.”

The defense was up and down all year. It got lit up by receiver Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals the first time they played, but shut him down the second time.

Coordinator Teryl Austin’s bunch largely contained talented rush attacks and running backs from Indianapolis, Green Bay and Chicago during the year.

They were gashed by Buffalo, Baltimore, the New York Jets, Seattle and Cincinnati’s Chase Brown twice.

You could even point to a lack of consistency within games. Through the air, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers were nonexistent through three quarters last week. Then they dominated the fourth quarter. Derrick Henry had 112 yards rushing in the first half of that game. He had 14 for the rest of the contest.

New England and Baltimore had games that featured 382.6 yards per contest, but a so-so 21.6 points.

The Steelers failed to generate a turnover in three out of the four games coming off their bye. The one game in between against Indianapolis, they generated six to go along with five sacks.

Inconsistency has been the issue on that side of the ball more than anything else.

“Everybody has a job responsibility. Everybody has a key. It’s about being gap sound. Trust the guy next to you to do their job,” linebacker Patrick Queen said.

The determining factors for the Steelers’ defense this year have been takeaways and the pass rush.

Austin’s pass rushers actually totaled one more sack than Houston (48). His players also generated 27 takeaways (fourth in the NFL).

The Steelers’ defense doesn’t need five takeaways Monday night. Get one or two at the right time.

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The Steelers’ defense doesn’t need six or seven sacks Monday night. Get three on third downs to force punts.

It doesn’t need a shutout. But can it keep Houston’s marginal run game and average passing game to 20 points or less?

“It doesn’t matter who we are going against. We’ve got to win the week,” defensive lineman Keeanu Benton said. “You ain’t going to make all the plays. But the ones that you can, go out there and make. Then there are going to be more to make.”

The organization’s defense needs to at least put forth a performance that is significantly better than the defensive efforts that allowed an average of 418 yards in the last six playoff games.

“We’re a group that — backs against the wall — we like our chances,” defensive captain Cam Heyward said. “We are all together. We thrive on people counting us out, people not believing in us and us playing our best ball.”

No one is asking this Steelers’ defense to be the group we saw in 2008, 1994 or 1976.

I’m not asking them to even approach what Tomlin and ex-safety Juan Thornhill claimed they’d be in August. Nor am I even saying that the Steelers have to be as good on defense as the Texans on Monday night.

I’m just saying… come close. Keep up. Be the second-best unit of the four on the field by a wide margin.

That might be good enough.

“Those guys are really good. We think our guys are really good,” Austin said Thursday. “We are just hoping our guys show up and give us their best effort and best selves this weekend, and it helps us win. That’s really all I care about.”

If the Steelers end their eight-year playoff-victory drought, I’m sure the fanbase will agree.

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Listen: Tim Benz and Matt Thomas of SportsTalk 790 in Houston preview the Steelers-Texans game