The Houston Texans are in the playoffs for a third straight year for the first time in their history. And one of their greatest players ever believes their Super Bowl prospects hinge on one aspect.

On Wednesday’s episode of Pat McAfee’s eponymous show, J.J. Watt said:

“When you look at the AFC, I mean, this year is, as everybody said, more than ever, feels like the most wide open it’s been. The Texans’ defense, without a doubt, can stop anybody. It’s going to come down to their ability to put up points on the other end, that is going to determine how far they actually go.”

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The Texans actually began the season poorly, losing their first three games and five of eight overall. However, they won nine straight afterwards, buoyed by their top-ranked defense that finished only behind the Seattle Seahawks in total and average points allowed.

Their final game against the Indianapolis Colts was a shootout that was decided by a Riley Leonard fumble on the very final play, which Tommy Togiai turned into a touchdown. About that game, Watt said:

“The last game was a weird one. … The vibe was just strange because Jacksonville jumped out to a big lead early, and the Texans pulled their starters at halftime. Even going into the game… you kinda knew. You could sense that the fans were like, ‘Yeah, we wanna win the game, but we also wanna get to the playoffs heathy.'”

DeMeco Ryans gets candid about Texans’ Wild Card matchup at Steelers

Of course, every path to the Super Bowl starts somewhere. And for the Texans, it will be in the freezing winds that permeate the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers.

During a press conference on Monday, head coach DeMeco Ryans shared his thoughts on the upcoming playoff clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers:

“They’re going to play tough. It was cool to see how they won that game (against the Baltimore Ravens) last night. Pure will, determination, found a way to win. Had things gone their way. Aaron [Rodgers] done a good job there at the quarterback position. Defense has always played tough. So, we’re excited about the opportunity.”

Kickoff for that game is at 7 pm CST on January 12 on ESPN/ABC.