It’s hard not to be romantic about these two teams.

I know Pittsburgh is entering the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, but I’m all for a matchup featuring two physical, cold-weather teams that already have a built-in dislike for one another.

Add in the funkiness associated with divisional games, I believe we could get a close one even if Baltimore is the much better team on paper.

The Steelers also provide a promising beginning to the narrative arc if this is finally the year Lamar Jackson makes a Super Bowl.

Jackson could do worse than beating a formidable AFC North rival in the opening round, not to mention knocking off Russell Wilson, who even in the later part of his career deserves respect for his postseason resumé.

Whether it’s an upset or a smash-mouth game between bitter rivals, the spectrum of outcomes here is great. 

Houston defensive end Danielle Hunter has a sack in each of his past four postseason games. With a sack against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday, Hunter would become the seventh player since 1982 to record a sack in five consecutive postseason games.

The players with the most consecutive postseason games with a sack since 1982:

LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh, 7 (2007-10)

Mark Gastineau, N.Y. Jets, 6 (1982-86)

Frank Clark, Seattle, Kansas City, 5 (2016-19)

Willie McGinest, New England, 5 (2001-03)

Simeon Rice, Tampa Bay, 5 (2001-05)

Bruce Smith, Buffalo, 5 (1992-93)

Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews has a touchdown catch in each of his past six games. With a touchdown on Saturday against Pittsburgh, he would become the fourth tight end ever with a touchdown reception in seven consecutive games including the postseason:

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints (eight consecutive games from 2011-12)

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (eight from 2014-15)

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (seven from 2021-22)

Baltimore running back Derrick Henry has 732 rushing yards in seven career playoff games. If he tops 68 yards on Saturday night against the Steelers, he’ll become just the fifth player all-time with at least 800 rushing yards in his first eight career postseason games.

The others are all Hall of Famers: Terrell Davis (1,140), John Riggins (946), Marcus Allen (896) and Emmitt Smith (801).

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a 109.3 passer rating in his first two playoffs starts last year after throwing for a combined 449 yards and three touchdowns. He was especially impressive in a wild-card win in which he recorded the highest passer rating (157.2) by a rookie in his postseason debut all-time.

If Stroud were to win on Sunday, he would become the sixth quarterback all-time to win a playoff game in each of his first two seasons.

The previous five to do so, according to the NFL:

Joe Flacco, Baltimore, 2008-09

Brock Purdy, San Francisco, 2022-23

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh, 2004-05

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, 2009-10

Russell Wilson, Seattle, 2012-23