Pittsburg, PA

'The Texans Beat Them:' Rich Eisen Picks Houston Over Pittsburgh

Published

1 year ago

October 31, 2024

'The Texans Beat Them:' Rich Eisen Picks Houston Over Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 and on top of the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens look like a dominant team, but for now, the Steelers are better than them. The AFC has several other strong teams, too. If the Steelers ultimately do make the playoffs, they could face a tough team. The Houston Texans are young but also on top of their division. Analyst Rich Eisen believes they would beat the Steelers if the two teams played right now.

“Number eight, one spot up, I’m putting the Russell Wilson Steelers right here,” Eisen said recently on his show when revealing his power rankings. “They beat the Jets; they beat the Giants. [Wilson] is smelting. The running game’s going, T.J. Watt’s going, the special teams are going.

“All three phases are going. 6-2, they lead the AFC North. I still think if the Houston Texans play them, the Texans beat them, which is why I’m putting the Texans right here at seven.”

That’s not an unfair thing to say. The Texans have been a great team this year. They are 6-2, but their two losses weren’t awful. They got crushed by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, but the Vikings were rolling at that point. They also lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, but the game came down to the wire.

The Texans also beat the tar out of the Steelers last year. In Week 4 of 2023, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud dominated the Steelers, beating them 30-6. The Texans have only improved their team since then, so it isn’t a stretch to say they could do it again.

However, the Steelers have also upgraded their team this year. Their offense looks much better, especially with Wilson at quarterback. They aren’t the same team the Texans beat last year. The Steelers have been playing great recently, too, so it’s possible that they could avenge their loss from last year.

The Texans are also dealing with some huge injuries. They just lost star receiver Stefon Diggs for the year, and Nico Collins, their standout receiver last year, is on injured reserve at the moment. The Texans are deep at receiver, but replacing both those players is almost impossible.

Therefore, if the two teams played today, it wouldn’t be crazy to say the Steelers have the advantage. The Texans have a young, hotshot quarterback and a stout defense, but they might not have the playmakers to beat the Steelers.

This is all hypothetical, though. The only way the Steelers will play the Texans this year will be if they meet in the playoffs. That’s still a few months away, so if that does happen, it’s likely both teams will look slightly different. The Texans could have Collins back, or they could be suffering from more injuries. The same could be said for the Steelers. It would make for an interesting postseason matchup, though.

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Pittsburg, PA

Oneil Cruz Powers Pirates Past Astros

Published

7 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz needs to have a great season for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026 and his strong Spring Training continued in their most recent victory.

Cruz hit a three-run home run off of Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray in the top of the fifth inning, playing a big role in the 5-2 victory at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.

He waited on a changeup on the second pitch, 85.1 mph over the middle of the plate and sent it 106.4 mph off the bat and 368 feet, scoring both left fielder Billy Cook and third baseman Alika Williams with two outs.

That marks the first home run for Cruz in the Grapefruit League, who has had a great Spring Training so far, slashing .538/.600/.846 for an OPS of 1.446 in five games, with seven hits in 13 at-bats.

Pittsburgh got the win after the top of the sixth inning, after a rain delay ended the game.

Pirates Rookie Pitchers Have Up-And-Down Showing vs. Astros

Right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made his second start for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and dominated vs. the Astros.

Sep 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (67) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ashcraft threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, while posting two strikeouts for Pittsburgh.

Former Pirates pitcher, right-handed starter Mike Burrows, countered Ashcraft for the Astros. He threw three scoreless innings himself, allowed one hit and a walk and posted four strikeouts.

The Pirates traded Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Dec. 19, that landed them second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.

Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler made his second appearance for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and threw two innings.

Chandler immediately loaded the bases, walking both third baseman Carlos Correa and first baseman Christian Walker, then giving up a single to center fielder Cam Smith.

He came back and struckout right fielder Taylor Trammell and got left fielder Zach Dezenzo to pop out, but gave up a single to second baseman Brice Matthews and a run to the Astros, before ending the inning with a strikeout.

Chandler also gave up a solo home run to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, on a slider down in the zone.

He finished his outing with three hits, three walks and two earned runs allowed over 1.1 innings pitched, before left-handed pitcher Derek Diamond got the last two outs of the inning.

Chandler struggled in his first Spring Training start vs. the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton on Feb. 23, where he allowed four earned runs over 1.2 innings of work.

Feb 23, 2026; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler (36) throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Pirates will need better showings from Chandler, who should serve as a key piece of their starting rotation in 2026.

Other Important Notes from Pirates Victory

The Pirates added two runs in the top of the sixth inning, as Cook hit a single that scored second baseman Nick Yorke and then Williams singled, scoring Cook to make it a 5-2 ball game.

Cook had just one hit in eight at-bats coming into this game and scored twice in the victory, as he walked before the Cruz home run.

Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna led the Pirates with two hits, a good sign for them, as they’ll rely on him greatly for his power and hitting in 2026.

The Pirates are now 7-2 in the Grapefruit League and tied with the Yankees for the top of the standings.

Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!

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