FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots didn’t get off to the start they wanted to against the Texans Saturday, going three-and-out on their first drive. It seemed very unlikely that Brock Osweiler could lead his team to a come-from-behind win but maybe, just maybe, Houston could build momentum with a fast start.

At least for a moment it seemed that way. The Texans got small gains from their first two plays before, on third and 4, Rob Ninkovich bested Houston tackle Chris Clark one-on-one and sacked Osweiler, dragging him down by the leg, to force a punt.

After missing the first four games because of a suspension for a positive PED test, Ninkovich accumulated four sacks in his 12 regular-season games and has added his first one of the playoffs.

To go with the sack, Ninkovich forced another Texans punt late in the second quarter, when he batted an Osweiler pass on third down.

The next men up in Ninkovich’s way are Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell.

“It’s going to be a really big challenge for us,’’ said Ninkovich. “They have a terrific running back who’s very explosive and makes a lot of plays for them, so it’s got to be up to the front to play well and not let a guy like that be explosive.’’

The Patriots have played few quarterbacks of Roethlisberger’s caliber this season, with Russell Wilson being the only other Super Bowl winner to face them. What Roethlisberger and Wilson share in accomplishments, however, they lack in comparable traits on the field.

Wilson, small and clever, was the best of a string of mobile quarterbacks the Patriots played in the middle of the season while Roethlisberger is a big, traditional pocket passer. Finding a path to an object that is relatively stationary is, obviously, easier in some ways than tracking one that is moving around, but Roethlisberger’s size adds an extra layer of challenge to bringing him down.

“When you get there, you’ve got to make sure you wrap him up and you’re strong at the point,’’ Ninkovich said. “We’ve played him before, and yeah, he definitely is a big guy, he’s a strong quarterback in the pocket, so we just have to be smart and understand when you get there, don’t miss him.’’

While there may be a simplicity to rushing the passer, it is not necessarily easier.

Pittsburgh ranked second in the league in sacks per pass play this season, and Roethlisberger was sacked only once against Kansas City last Sunday. Part of that is because he is hard to bring down, even when pass rushers can pin their ears back and go at him, and part of it is because of a strong Steelers offensive line.

The O-line has blocked well enough for Bell to average 5.7 yards per carry in the playoffs (his singular talent is also a contributing factor) and it also has benefited from the ways Bell can force defenses back on their heels. Bell is patient and waits for a crease to develop before exploding into a hole, meaning he can tear apart a defense that sacrifices gap integrity to get after a quarterback.

While run-stuffing tackles like Alan Branch will have the biggest impact against the run, edge guys like Ninkovich must be disciplined to keep the Pittsburgh offense contained.

“He’s an explosive football player,’’ said Ninkovich, “so when you’re playing a guy like that who has the ability to jump-cut and get outside and really just be explosive any time he has the ball, it’s everyone on the field.

“It’s their job to get to him and gang tackle and be aggressive, and not just one time but every time you’re on the field.

“It all comes down to fundamentals and hand placement, reading your keys. That’s what today’s all about. Getting to work and being fundamentally sound.’’

Nora Princiotti can be reached at nora.princiotti@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NoraPrinciotti.