The difference between an early exit and a deep playoff run is often a player who wasn’t supposed to be part of the story. On Monday’s Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, that player was wide receiver Christian Kirk.
For all intents and purposes, Kirk had an underwhelming year as the veteran presence in a young, home-grown WR room. He was sixth on the team in yards, fifth in receptions, and only recorded one touchdown on the season, most of which were career lows.
His role diminished due
to several uncontrollable factors. Rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel absorbed much of the spotlight, tight end Dalton Schultz had a career season in receptions, and the offense had to run more heavy sets due to poor blocking early in the season.
Then came the playoff game. Nico Collins was struggling to get open against lock down corner Joey Porter Jr. The Texans offense was sputtering more than your grandfather’s chevy due to C.J. Stroud’s nerves and the team’s ill-timed penalties. Houston desperately needed a break-glass option to unlock the Steelers defense and change the narrative of the game.
That came in the form of Christian Kirk and his eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Kirk scored a red zone touchdown, an issue which plagued the Texans all season, midway through the second quarter to give them the lead. He made multiple third down receptions to maintain possession and keep the Steelers defense on the field. Those long drives contributed to Pittsburgh’s defense folding at the end of the game en route to a 30-6 drubbing.
The biggest play of his Houston Texans (and possibly) career occurred with six and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Stroud hit Kirk on a slant route against Steelers nickleback Brandin Echols on a big third down. He turned the catch upfield for a first down and 30 yards after the catch. The play put the Texans back in field goal position, but they would later score on a Woody Marks touchdown to seal the game.
With Nico Collins projected to be sidelined with a concussion for the Texans’ divisional matchup against the New England Patriots, Kirk will be called on again to be the focal point of the passing attack. The Patriots should also be without their Pro Bowl CB Christian Gonzalez, a like-for-like absence with Collins. That should move Charles Woods, an undrafted player from the 2024 class to the starting role.
Regardless of whoever lines up at cornerback for the Patriots, Kirk’s playoff emergence could be one of the greatest storylines in franchise history if he’s able to continue his form on Sunday. The Texans will need another big time performance from their vet to beat the 14-3 Patriots.
