The 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers battled through a strange season led by three different starting quarterbacks. This shows that they need a star signal caller under center to be truly competitive. Perhaps no game presented more truth than Week 4’s game against the Houston Texans. Last year, the Texans were considered one of the worst teams in the NFL. But rookie quarterback CJ Stroud quickly put that talk to rest, playing like one of the best in the league. Stroud himself claims that the game made him believe he could succeed in the NFL, and according to the Texans’ general manager, he wasn’t the only player to have a breakthrough against the Steelers.
Nick Caserio has served as the Texans’ GM since 2021, helping the team transition from the Deshaun Watson debacle to what it is now. in He was recently featured on SportsRadio 610 Houston. Caserio was asked if there was a moment last year when the Texans knew they would have to pay their young wide receiver Nico Collins handsomely. As a result, Caserio dubbed the game against the Steelers a coming out party for Collins, showing that Stroud wasn’t the only one who proved himself that day.
“Over the first half of the season, he played really well in the Pittsburgh game. It was a game where you thought, ‘Okay, I’m starting to see something.’”
The Steelers certainly saw a few things that day, but not many of them were good. Not only did they lose 30-6 and allow Stroud to find comfort in the NFL, they watched Collins reel in seven of nine targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns. It was a game with few positives for the Steelers, but it certainly unlocked a potential franchise quarterback and stud wide receiver for the Texans.
Collins finished last year with over 1,200 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. So the Steelers weren’t the only ones he faced like a star. If Texas continues to find success with the duo of Stroud and Collins, they will look back on the 2023 Steelers game as one that got the ball rolling. Unfortunately, this will make it much more difficult to get past the already stacked AFC with the likes of the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens already there. But if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
The Steelers will only see the Texans this year if the two teams meet in the playoffs. This could be a great opportunity for Pittsburgh to get back to winning ways and have a happy ending to this little saga with the Texans. When a young quarterback like Stroud plays like one of the best, it certainly makes it easier to win. Whether Russell Wilson proves the veteran guard still has it or Justin Fields becomes the Steelers’ quarterback of the future, victory won’t come easy.
