Instead of basking in the glory of a divisional round berth, one Houston Texans star chose to throw shade, taking a direct shot at Mike Tomlin’s vaunted coaching record. The comment came immediately after the Texans ended the Steelers’ season and a 12,138-day streak at home that began under Bill Cowher on October 19, 1992.

“History says Mike Tomlin doesn’t lose on MNF,” said Azeez Al-Shaair. “In the end, it’s about who you are that day, at the highest level, this is the best of the best.”

Al-Shaair’s sharp comment stems from how nearly impossible it was to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh on a Monday night.

Tomlin built on a legacy that Cowher established after the Steelers lost Chuck Noll’s final Monday Night Football game at home. That came on October 14, 1991, at Three Rivers Stadium in a 23-20 loss to the Giants. 

Cowher went 11-0 on Monday Night Football in Pittsburgh, with Tomlin topping him. He rattled off 12 straight wins against opponents like the Ravens, Chiefs, and division-rival Browns.

Tomlin’s streak wasn’t without its close calls, including two nail-biting overtime victories under the old rules. In both those games, the Steelers’ offense was on the bench for the start of overtime.

Monday’s Wild Card game against the Texans, though, was one-sided.

The Steelers initially saw a glimmer of hope with an early 3-0 lead thanks to a Chris Boswell field goal on the team’s second drive, but the Texans’ top-ranked defense quickly tightened its grip.

While Houston led only 7-6 at the half, the final quarter was a total collapse for the Black and Gold. The Texans exploded for 23 points in the final 15 to hand the Steelers their seventh straight playoff defeat.

The loss ties him with Marvin Lewis for the most consecutive postseason losses by a head coach. Though Tomlin was saddled with an unwanted record, the Texans were busy writing a new, more positive chapter in their own history books.

Since 1979, only six teams have ever reached the postseason after starting a season at 0-3. Five of them saw their seasons end immediately in the Wild-Card round. The 1992 San Diego Chargers were the only other team to win a playoff game in the Super Bowl era.

The Texans’ confidence was clearly sky high, and for good reason. They made history, becoming only the second team in the Super Bowl era to win a playoff game after an 0-3 start, a feat that fueled their post-game jabs at the Steelers.

C.J. Stroud trolls the Steelers faithful

Al-Shaair was not the only one who got in on the trash talk, with quarterback C.J. Stroud seemingly addressing the crowd at Acrisure Stadium while heading down the tunnel.

He was skipping and laughing as he waved to the fans and said, “See you later. You mad?”

Safety Calen Bullock made the game’s biggest play at Aaron Rodgers’ expense, picking off the pass at the 50-yard line and returning it for a touchdown. That may go down as Rodgers’ final play.

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When asked about the pick-six, he said, “He gotta sign it. He got to. I need that.”

Al-Shaair and Bullock’s exuberant actions and words came after a historic defensive display.

Houston became only the second team in NFL playoff history to score two defensive touchdowns in a game without allowing a single touchdown to the opponent. The last team to achieve this feat was the 1940 Chicago Bears. 

The Texans’ defense dominating Rodgers wasn’t a fluke. It was the third time they forced an MVP-caliber quarterback into multiple-turnover games. The defense was the reason C.J. Stroud’s three turnovers didn’t plague the entire team.

Now, they head to Foxborough as the most dangerous underdog in the AFC.