Former Clay-Chalkville High School standout Nico Collins had nine receptions for 195 yards and one touchdown as the Houston Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23-19 on Saturday night to earn a spot in the AFC postseason field.

In the regular-season finale for each team, the Texans and Colts squared off in a game that would send the winner to the playoffs and the loser to the offseason.

In the opening game of Saturday’s NFL doubleheader, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 to remain in the running for a postseason position.

By improving to 10-7, Pittsburgh stayed in contention for a wild-card spot in the AFC playoffs. For the Steelers to get in, they need the Buffalo Bills or the Jacksonville Jaguars to lose on Sunday. The Bills visit the Miami Dolphins, and the Jaguars visit the Tennessee Titans.

The Texans also have a stake in the Jaguars-Titans game. If Jacksonville loses, Houston will receive the AFC South seed and, instead of opening the playoffs next week as a wild-card qualifier on the road, will start the postseason at home.

Collins opened Houston’s scoring against Indianapolis with a 75-yard touchdown reception from quarterback C.J. Stroud on the Texans’ first play from scrimmage with 9:06 left in the first quarter.

Collins’ receptions also included a diving catch at the Indianapolis 40-yard line for a first down on a second-and-14 pass and, on the same series, a 23-yard grab that, with a horse-collar tackle penalty added on, moved Houston to the Colts 3. The Texans scored a touchdown on the next snap with 6:20 to play to break a 17-17 tie.

Stroud went 9-for-9 throwing to Collins. Targeting the other Houston receivers, the Texans quarterback completed 11-of-17 passes for 69 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Collins finished the regular season with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Baltimore Ravens 10

A 71-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mason Rudolph to wide receiver Diontae Johnson broke a 7-7 tie on the first play of the fourth quarter in the pouring rain on a cold night in Baltimore.

Seven players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Pittsburgh-Baltimore game:

· Steelers defensive tackle Montravius Adams (Auburn) broke up one pass.

· Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Ravens quarterback Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) did not record any stats but did make an appearance at wide receiver in his first outing for Baltimore.

· Ravens guard Tyrell Doss (Aliceville) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive. A knee injury sidelined Fitzpatrick for the third straight game.

· Najee Harris (Alabama) started at running back for the Steelers. Harris ran for 112 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries and caught five passes for 21 yards. Harris scored the game’s first points on a 6-yard run with 2:36 left in the first quarter. His eighth rushing touchdown of the 2023 season gave him a career high after he had run for seven in each of his first two campaigns. By rushing for 234 yards in the final two games of the regular season, Harris completed 2023 with more than 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season.

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· Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive. A calf injury kept Humphrey out of the lineup.

· Ravens guard Tashawn Manning (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Ravens outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon (Hoover) made four tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and forced one fumble. Pittsburgh recovered the loose football.

· George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Steelers. Pickens had a 3-yard run but was not targeted with a pass for the first time in his 34 NFL games.

· Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford) started at nose tackle for the Ravens. Pierce made six tackles and recorded one tackle for loss. He reached a season high for tackles.

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· Levi Wallace (Alabama) started at cornerback for the Steelers. Wallace made one tackle.

While Pittsburgh will wait for the outcomes of the Bills and Jaguars on Sunday to see if it plays next week, Baltimore already knows it will not. Even though the Ravens lost their regular-season finale, with quarterback Lamar Jackson sitting out, Baltimore still has the AFC’s best record at 13-4. The Ravens will return to the field in the divisional round with a home game after enjoying a first-round bye.

Houston Texans 23, Indianapolis Colts 19

Indianapolis quarterback Gardner Minshew and running back Tyler Goodson couldn’t connect on a fourth-and-1 pass at the Houston 15-yard line with 63 seconds to play as the Texans held on for the playoff-clinching victory.

Houston won even though Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor ran for 188 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries despite making a trip to the locker room with a heel injury during the game.

In addition to Collins, eight players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Houston-Indianapolis game:

· Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) made one tackle.

· Colts cornerback Tony Brown (Alabama) is not eligible to play after being suspended by the team for the final three games of the regular season “for conduct detrimental to the team.”

· Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Christian Harris (Alabama) started at weakside linebacker for the Texans. Harris made 12 tackles and recorded his first sack of the season.

· Ronnie Harrison (Alabama) started at linebacker for the Colts. Harrison made five tackles and recorded his first sack of the season.

· Texans guard Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Texans safety Kareem Jackson (Alabama) made one tackle.

· Ryan Kelly (Alabama) started at center for the Colts.

· Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (Alabama) had a 5-yard reception.

· Braden Smith (Auburn) started at right offensive tackle for the Colts. Smith sustained a knee injury that caused him to leave the game.

· Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o (Alabama) recovered a fumble on the final play of the game as Indianapolis tried to lateral after time had expired.

· Texans safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Texans offensive tackle Kilian Zierer (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

While Indianapolis finished the season at 9-8, Houston will head into the playoffs at 10-7 in its first season under coach DeMeco Ryans, a former Jess Lanier High School and Alabama standout. Last season, the Texans won three games.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.