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The Bengals haven't won a playoff game in over 20 years and they hope to snap that streak against the Texans on Saturday afternoon.
The Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans will face off Saturday afternoon in the first AFC Wild Card game of the 2012 postseason. With the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints earning primetime status, the Bengals and Texans will get the "B" team treatment this weekend. Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock will handle play-by-play and color duties, while Alex Flanagan works the sideline.
Hammond and Mayock typically team up for NBC's coverage of Notre Dame Football. Last year's Wild Card game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints was the first time the team ever handled an NFL Playoff game. You can catch them announcing Saturday's game live at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC, or online at NBCSports.com and NFL.com.
For more on the Bengals, be sure to check out the SB Nation blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the Texans, head over to Battle Red Blog. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more updates on Saturday's game.
The Cincinnati Bengals will go on the road to play the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card game on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC. Like most fan bases, the Cincinnati community feels they have a legitimate shot at winning on Saturday.
We asked our Bengals blog, Cincy Jungle, why the Bengals will win and why they'll lose:
Why the Bengals will win: During their week 14 meeting at Paul Brown Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals forced two fumbles against the Houston Texans' offense within two minutes of each other, early in the fourth quarter while sporting a commanding nine-point lead. The second was a fumble recovered by the Bengals, returned to the five-yard line where Geno Atkins lost control of the ball that Houston eventually recovered at their own two-yard line. Houston was forced to put together consecutive 13-play drives, turning a nine-point deficit into a one-point win in the fourth quarter.
Why the Bengals will lose: The Bengals have struggled all season closing out games against teams that eventually made the playoffs, going winless in seven tries. Though the losses were all within a score, save for the second game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals will have to prove that they can surpass that milestone.
Check out SB Nation's NFL playoffs picks. Here is the complete 2012 NFL playoffs schedule.
For more on the Bengals, head over to the SB Nation blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the Texans, check out Battle Red Blog. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more updates on Saturday's game.
The Cincinnati Bengals will play the Houston Texans in the first AFC Wild Card game of the weekend. The Bengals are underdogs in the game and that's part of the reason our Texans blog, Battle Red Blog, thinks Houston should win the game.
Battle Red Blog explains why the Texans will win, and why they'll lose:
Why the Texans will win: The Texans played their worst game of the season (allowed five sacks, lost the turnover battle 4:2, and played without their star receiver) and still won on the road, in large part due to the defense keeping them in the game with incredible halftime adjustments. If Houston cleans up their own mistakes then they should control the ball game.
Why the Texans will lose: Houston will lose if their zone run game is taken out of the equation by an athletic and quick Cincinnati front four. Gary Kubiak's offense is built being able to run the ball to open up those long play action passes. If there's no running game then there's no offense and the defense won't able to win it on their own.
Check out SB Nation's NFL playoffs picks. Here is the complete 2012 NFL playoffs schedule.
For more on the Bengals, head over to the SB Nation blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the Texans, check out Battle Red Blog. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more updates on Saturday's game.
Perhaps no team in the NFL has been as stricken by the injury bug as the 2012 Houston Texans. Despite losing their top two starting quarterbacks for the season, and Arian Foster and Andre Johnson for weeks at a time, they still managed to finish the regular season with a 10-6 record and a playoff berth. The Cincinnati Bengals enter Saturday's AFC Wild Card game with some injury concerns of their own. The relative health of both teams could be the key to the game.
By sheer numbers, the Texans' injury report looks much more worrisome. The team listed 20 players with some sort of ailment this week. Johnson is perhaps the most important player to keep an eye on. He played roughly 20 snaps last week while dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, catching just two passes for 21 yards. Johnson is expected to earn roughly 45-50 snaps on Saturday, giving Houston a much-needed boost with rookie T.J. Yates under center.
The Bengals are generally in much better standing health-wise. Quarterback Andy Dalton was hospitalized with an illness earlier this week, but has since been released and is expected to be 100 percent for the game. One player to keep an eye on will be Geno Atkins, who was unable to practice fully this week until Friday due to an Achilles injury. Against a vaunted Texans running attack, his presence will be critical along the defensive line.
For more on the Bengals, head over to the SB Nation blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the Texans, check out Battle Red Blog. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more updates on Saturday's game.
For those who won't be able to tune into Saturday's AFC Wild Card matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans on television, you have options. Legal ones, too! For the first time ever, this season's 2012 NFL Playoffs will be available for streaming online for free. On Saturday, you can catch both playoff games on NBCSports.com and NFL.com.
For those trying to catch Saturday's game on their mobile device of choice, those with Verizon Wireless can download the NFL Mobile app from NFL.com to access live video feeds. Unfortunately, those without Verizon are out of luck unless they resort to more dubious methods.
The Houston Texans are playing their first playoff game in franchise history. Saturday's game will also feature two rookie quarterbacks playing against one another in the postseason for the first time ever in the Super Bowl era. The Bengals will look to slow down a potent Texans rushing attack led by Arian Foster, among other factors.
For more on Saturday's game, be sure to head over to Bengals blog Cincy Jungle and Texans blog Battle Red Blog.
To kick off Wild Card Weekend in the 2011 NFL Playoffs, the AFC South Champion Houston Texans will play the first playoff game in franchise history when they host the No. 6 seed Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium at 4:30pm ET on Saturday afternoon.
Both of Saturday's playoff games will be shown on NBC, with their "B" team of Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock, and sideline reporter Alex Flanagan assigned to the Bengals-Texans game.
In addition to the Texans playing the first playoff game in franchise history, Saturday's game will be the first time in the Super Bowl era where both teams will be starting rookie quarterbacks. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was a second-round pick in last April's draft and opened the season as the starter, while fifth-round pick T.J. Yates has gained his starting role after Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart suffered season-ending injuries.
Led by Yates, the Texans came from behind to defeat the Bengals 20-19 in Week 14. Dalton passed 189 yards and a touchdown in that meeting and Tim at Battle Red Blog anticipates a long day for Dalton against a Texans defense that ranked 2nd in total and were 3rd against the pass.
The guys at Cincy Jungle think the key match-up involves Bengals first-round wide receiver A.J. Green against Texans Pro Bowl cornerback Johnathan Joseph, a former Bengals first-round pick who signed with the Texans when the lockout ended.
For more on this 2012 AFC Playoff matchup, follow our comprehensive Bengals vs. Texans StoryStream. Get the latest news and fan perspective at our Bengals blog, Cincy Jungle and our Texans blog, Battle Red Blog.
The 2012 AFC Wild Card matchup between Cincinnati and Houston could hinge on the running game -- more specifically, the Bengals defense vs. the Texans rushing attack.
Houston boasts the No. 2 rushing offense in the NFL, led by duo of Arian Foster and his backup, Ben Tate. Meanwhile the Bengals run defense has fallen apart over the course of the season. Cincinnati allowed just one team to rush for more than 100 yards in its first eight games, but has been run over during the second half of the season -- including a gashing at the hands of the Texans in a Week 14 loss.
Related: Bengals Vs. Texans 2012 | Cincy Jungle | Battle Red Blog | NFL Playoffs Hub
SB Nation's Bengals blog, Cincy Jungle, takes a look at Bengals declining rush defense, which still ranks No. 10 in the league in yards allowed per game:
In Week 14 they played the Houston Texans, who, of course, they play on Saturday in the wildcard round of the playoffs. They went into the locker room at halftime with a 16-3 lead but they ended up losing the game by a score of 20-19. That was largely thanks to a second-half collapse but the fact that the Bengals allowed the Texans to run for 144 yards against them can also be blamed. For those of you keeping track, that's five games in a row that the Bengals allowed a team to run for over 100 yards against them.
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On Saturday the Bengals face the Texans in the playoffs. They had given up 100 yards on the ground in six of their last eight games and as a result they had lost five of those games, including one to the Texans. If the Bengals are not able to contain the Texans' running game consisting of Arian Foster and Ben Tate, their chances of heading to New England to play the Patriots in the divisional round drop dramatically.
Complete Article: Bengals Struggled Against The Run In Second Half Of 2011
For more on this 2012 AFC Playoff matchup, follow our comprehensive Bengals vs. Texans StoryStream. Get the latest news and fan perspective at our Bengals blog, Cincy Jungle and our Texans blog, Battle Red Blog.
We are only one day away from the start of the 2012 NFL playoffs. The schedule has the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans squaring off at 4:30 p.m. The game will be televised on NBC and it will be the first game of Wild Card weekend.
This is the weekend every NFL team has been waiting for (which means there are 20 disappointed teams). The playoffs in the NFL always have an upset or two and I suspect this year wil be no different.
The Texans, making their first playoff appearance in franchise history, are three point favorites in the game. They'll rely on their rushing attack, which is among the league's elite, as well as a somewhat-healthy Andre Johnson, who is expected to play.
The Bengals made it here led by a rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton and rookie receiver in A.J. Green. They have terrific line play and for that reason I don't expect them to be blown out.
It will be the first time rookie quarterbacks face off against each other in the playoffs and this should be a close game as many experts are predicting.
Check out the rest of the 2012 NFL playoffs schedule.
Check out Battle Red Blog for the latest on the Texans and Cincy Jungle for the latest on the Bengals, and head on over to the SBNation NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.
When Mike Mayock talks, people listen. As an analyst with the NFL Network, Mayock has endeared himself with fans and insiders alike with his no nonsense approach and spot-on takes on players and the game. It's notable, then, that Mayock called Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver A.J. Green "one of the top ten receivers in the league."
Mayock discussed Green and his matchup with Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph in an interview that appeared on the Bengals' website. Mayock predicted a bright future for Green, one that would put in some very elite company.
I think (Green) is already one of the top ten receivers in the league and in the next year or two he'll be mentioned with Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. That's the kind of ability he has.
Green led all rookie receivers this season with 1,057 receiving yards on 65 catches, also the top mark among rookies. His seven receiving touchdowns ranked second among rookies, bested only by Julio Jones of the Falcons who had eight.
Green is the first rookie receiver with more than 1,000 receiving yards since Marques Colston in 2006.
Mayock started calling games on the NFL Network this season, but he makes the jump to broadcast networks for the playoffs. He'll be in the booth for the Bengals Vs. Texans on NBC this Saturday.
For more on the Bengals, check out Cincy Jungle. Head over to Battle Red Blog for more on the Texans.
The playoff matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans is a divisive one. Though the Texans are the third seed and the Bengals the sixth, there isn't much separation between the two teams. The Texans have been holding on to a weak division since starting quarterback Matt Schaub went down, while the Bengals play in arguably the best division in football.
Sports Illustrated's Peter King is picking the Texans to win by two points. He says that the quarterback duel between rookies T.J. Yates and Andy Dalton is too close to call with their current fitness concerns. Therefore, he's giving the tiebreaker to the Texans on the basis of the superiority of their two-headed rushing attack of Arian Foster and Ben Tate.
Experts at other outlets are also divided. NFL experts from both CBS and Yahoo! were split on the game, though both outlets slightly leaned towards the Bengals.
For more on Dalton, check out Bengals blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the game, read about their opponents on Texans blog Battle Red Blog and check out SB Nation's NFL hub.
The Cincinnati Bengals are preparing to play the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the 2012 NFL playoffs and they received a scare when QB Andy Dalton was hospitalized on Wednesday with an illness.
Worry no more, Bengals fans: Dalton is fine.
He tells Geoff Hobson of the Bengals official sitethat it was just a 24-hour bug, he feels fine now and he will practice on Thursday. That's good news for the Bengals considering Dalton has been one of the keys to their success this year.
The Bengals QB was staying "close to the sink and toilet" when he was sick on Wednesday, which lead to him being hospitalized for flu-like symptoms.
The loss of Dalton would have been devastating to the Bengals but it sounds like they won't have to worry about much. The game is on Saturday, according to the NFL playoffs schedule, which means Dalton will have had three days to rest up from whatever ailed him.
For more on Dalton, check out Bengals blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the game, read about their opponents on Texans blog Battle Red Blog and check out SB Nation's NFL hub.
Andy Dalton had to make a visit to the hospital on Wednesday, but he's still expected to start the AFC Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans. Dalton had to miss practice on Wednesday due to illness and was taken to the hospital for treatment with flu-like symptoms. Apparently, whatever treatment he got at the hospital went well, and Dalton will be able to practice on Thursday.
Related: T.J. Yates expected to start, Bengals good on the road
There's no reason to believe that Dalton won't be able to play at a high level for the Bengals this weekend if he's able to get back to full practice on Thursday, but it's still concerning when a team's starting quarterback is very sick and "staying close to the toilet and sink," as Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis so elegantly put it.
For more on Dalton, check out Bengals blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the game, read about their opponents on Texans blog Battle Red Blog and check out SB Nation's NFL hub.
It may come as a bit of a surprise if you haven't really been paying attention, but the Cincinnati Bengals head into their AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Houston Texans with a better record on the road than they have at home. In fact, their 5-3 record away from Paul Brown Stadium is just as good as the Texans' record at Reliant Stadium where Saturday's encounter will be taking place.
Of course, the difference of one win is not exactly statistically significant and it's probably a stretch to say that the Bengals are actually better on the road, but clearly they aren't just falling apart. Bengals blog Cincy Jungle pulled this quote from team captain Andrew Whitworth that makes some attempt to explain the oddity:
"We're the little one most people count out and we come swinging," he said. "That helps you win on the road. If you have that mentality you are not worried about the crowd you are not worried about how good the team is; you are not intimidated."
The Texans, for their part, have identical road and way records (5-3). They have also already shown they can beat the Bengals. Granted, that game on Dec. 11 was played in Cincinnati and was decided by just a single point (20-19), but it was a win nonetheless. Texans blog Battle Red Blog relived that game recently and pointed out that one of the biggest things coach Gary Kubiak did right was trusting rookie quarterback T.J. Yates.
Despite an interception and five allowed sacks, neither Kubiak nor Yates panicked and got conservative. That persistence paid off, as Yates would reward the braintrust's faith in him by delivering a beautiful game-winning drive. The Texans need to remember that and come out willing to throw the ball to loosen up the Cincinnati defense.
No matter how you slice it, these two teams seem to match up pretty well. Interestingly enough, though, the Texans are favored by exactly 3 points, which is usually the automatic advantage oddsmakers give the home team.
For more on this game, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.
When the Cincinnati Bengals meet the Houston Texans on Saturday in the first game of the 2012 NFL Playoffs, the teams will be looking to break a 3-3 tie in all-time match-ups. But while the Bengals had the upper hand early on in the series between the two teams, the Texans have been ahead of late.
The Bengals' three wins in the series were the first three games of the series. And Cincinnati gave Houston its worst loss in 2002, the franchise's first season, in a 38-3 shellacking. In that game, Jon Kitna threw four touchdown passes, and the Bengals scored the last 38 points to get their first win of the year.
But as the Texans have gotten older, they've turned the tables on some of their early bullies, and Houston's won three straight against Cincinnati, including a 20-19 victory in Week 14 that may have been the Texans' best win in franchise history: not only did it clinch Houston's first-ever playoff berth, but T.J. Yates piloted the Texans to it with two 80-yard drives in the fourth quarter, and found Kevin Walter for the game-winning score with two seconds to go.
Neither team merits mention in the discussion about 2012 Wild Card Weekend teams that could win the Super Bowl, and Andrew Sharp is amazed that T.J. Yates and Andy Dalton are playoff quarterbacks, but if series history is any indication, the Texans and Bengals may have an entertaining game to play on Saturday.
For more on the two teams, check out Bengals blog Cincy Jungle and Texans blog Battle Red Blog.
The Cincinnati Bengals have put a lot of faith in rookie quarterback Andy Dalton this season, letting him start all 16 games. So far, their faith has been repaid handsomely. Now, it looks like they are playing it careful and giving Dalton the day off from practice just days before their AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The official word is apparently that Dalton is day-to-day and essentially called in sick with an intestinal virus.
Bengals blog Cincy Jungle pointed out that the temperatures in Cincinnati hovered around 20 degrees on Wednesday.
The Bengals have managed Dalton pretty expertly this year. The TCU product has thrown for 3,398 yards, completed more than 58 percent of his passes and thrown 20 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. None of those are eye-popping numbers, but Dalton does get bonus points for leading the Bengals to a 9-7 record and back into the playoffs.
It is also worth pointing out that the Bengals' playoff appearance is just their second in the past six years and the third since 1991. The Bengals are hardly the kind of team where rookie quarterbacks are expected to succeed.
He'll be playing through a separated shoulder as half of the first-ever matchup of rookie quarterbacks in NFL playoff history, and T.J. Yates is seeming more and more ready as the Houston Texans prepare to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the franchise's first playoff game. He participated fully in Tuesday's practice, putting in what head coach Gary Kubiak called an "excellent" effort, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"I took the full load at practice," said Yates, who suffered the injury Sunday on the first play from scrimmage in a 23-22 loss to Tennessee. "I didn't take any reps off, and it feels good. I went out there and was able to throw the ball just fine - no pain."
Jake Delhomme filled in adequately for Yates, but the rookie quarterback has performed adequately in his action after the season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. With a terrific defense and running back Arian Foster, the Texans are confident with Yates under center heading into Saturday's game.
For more on the Bengals, visit SB Nation's Cincy Jungle and for more on the Texans check out Battle Red Blog. Also check out the updated NFL draft order for those non-playoff teams.
The Houston Texans will host an NFL playoff game for the first time in franchise history. The Texans came into existence in 2002 and over the last few years have been on the edge of qualifying for the playoffs but they weren't able to clinch it until this season.
So the Texans enter the playoffs and, as you can tell by our Texans blog, Houston fans are excited for the first playoff game in Texans history. Even better, the game will be at home due to the fact that the Texans won the AFC South. They'll host the Cincinnati Bengals and head coach Gary Kubiak talked about what it means for this city to see a playoff game from the Texans.
"Well, they can help us by being real loud. They've been that way all year, but I know this city is excited about Saturday afternoon. I just want them to know how excited we are as a football team. We're looking forward to going to battle with them. That's the key. We're all in this together. It's a big, big game for everybody. We're looking forward to giving our best effort, and I know we'll get theirs."
The Bengals are dealing a few first-timers as well. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, both rookies, have never experienced a playoff game.
For more on the Bengals, visit SB Nation's Cincy Jungle and for more on the Texans check out Battle Red Blog. Also check out the updated NFL draft order for those non-playoff teams.
Should the Cincinnati Bengals be confident heading into the AFC Wildcard game against the Houston Texans? It depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, the Bengals did have a double digit lead against those same Texans back in Week 14. On the other hand, the Bengals blew that lead and allowed the Texans to come back and win the game.
So, yes, the Bengals should feel confident that they can win. They put themselves in position to win back in Week 14 but just couldn't close it out. SB Nation's Cincy Jungle recapped that game and came to a great conclusion:
The Cincinnati Bengals can beat the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals can also beat themselves.
Usually it's the Bengals making the dramatic fourth quarter comeback. That's what they've been doing all year. The playoffs are different than the regular season. The intensity is higher and the focus is sharper. They simply can not allow the Texans to get back into the game if they can secure a lead.
The Bengals are a really, really good team and because they've been so bad in the past few years I'm not sure most fans realize that this is a legitimately strong team.
The AFC Wildcard game could change that.
For more on the Bengals, visit SB Nation's Cincy Jungle and for more on the Texans check out Battle Red Blog. Also check out the updated NFL draft order for those non-playoff teams.
It has already been a crazy year for the Houston Texans when it comes to injuries. So maybe it shouldn't be a huge surprise that T.J. Yates, who started the year as the team's third-string quarterback, is probably going to play during the Texans' Wild Card playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
T.J. Yates should start against Cincy despite separated left shoulder. He was 4-for-4 for 47 on TD drive after suffering injury on 1st play.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) January 2, 2012
Since taking over for Matt Leinart in Week 12, who himself was taking over from Matt Schaub, Yates has been solid if unspectacular. He has thrown just three touchdowns, but has also only thrown three interceptions while completing 61 percent of his passes.
If Yates can't go, the job would fall to Jake Delhomme, who saw his first extended action on Sunday in the Texans' season finale. Delhomme was 18 of 28 for 211 yards and a touchdown in relief of Yates.
For more on Yates' status, be sure to follow this StoryStream. Check out Texans blog Battle Red Blog for more analysis.
The Houston Texans will host their first playoff game in franchise history and they'll have Andre Johnson along for the ride. Johnson has been limited to just seven games this season because of multiple hamstring injuries. He returned in Week 17 and played about 20 snaps in a meaningless game.
Head coach Gary Kubiak confirmed that Johnson will be available next week against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Widl Card round but that Johnson may not be ready for an entire game.
"Yeah, I don't think Andre's ready to play 70 plays, but we don't want him doing that anyway. We want him playing 45 to 50 good ones, but I think he'll be ready to do that."
The Texans have a terrific run game so they've been able to survive without Johnson for part of this year. They'll be facing a strong Bengals defensive line next weekend so they'll need all the help they can get in the passing game. Johnson should provide some help.
For more on the Bengals, visit SB Nation's Cincy Jungle and for more on the Texans check out Battle Red Blog. Also check out the updated NFL draft order for those non-playoff teams.
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the playoffs, which is almost hard to believe. They were considered one of the NFL's worst teams before the season begin because they were starting a rookie quarterback. That rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton, turned into a solid season and helped lead the Bengals to the playoffs.
The Bengals will travel to Houston to play the Texans in the Wild Card round.
SB Nation's Cincy Jungle is obviously excited about Cincy's improbable run and recaps the season nicely in this post.
The Cincinnati Bengals have truly come full-circle, largely believed to be the worst team in the NFL during the preseason to being one of 12 teams that made the playoffs this year. Though the moment is bittersweet due to Cincinnati's most recent loss to the Baltimore Ravens, remember this moment as the second time in three seasons that the Bengals made the playoffs. No matter what they've done in the regular season, none of that matters now. Everyone in the post season is winless, yet undefeated. And the Cincinnati Bengals will play one more week than anyone else expected.
Indeed, everyone has a shot. And the Bengals may have the best chance at an upset on Wildcard weekend. They're playing a Texans team that has lost three straight and, like the Bengals, will start a rookie quarterback in the playoffs.
For more on the Bengals, visit SB Nation's Cincy Jungle and for more on the Texans check out Battle Red Blog. Also check out the updated NFL draft order for those non-playoff teams.
Since the AFC/NFC merger, only 11 rookie quarterbacks have started a playoff game.
The AFC divisional round game between the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals will be the first time that two have faced each other, with Texans fifth round pick T.J. Yates and Bengals second round pick Andy Dalton under center.
History doesn't bode well for either, as rookie quarterbacks have gone 6-9 in the playoffs, throwing 15 TD's and 23 INT's.
Yates is coming off an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that knocked him out of Houston's 23-22 loss to the Tennessee Titans, although the UNC product insisted that "he didn't need that shoulder anyway".
And while Yates was pressed into action after season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, Dalton has started all 16 games for Cincinnati this season.
The Houston native has completed 58.1% of his passes for 3,398 yards, 20 TD's and 13 INT's as a rookie.
In the Texans' 20-19 victory over the Bengals in Week 14, Yates threw for 300 yards and 2 TD's, including leading Houston on a game-winning drive as time expired, to only 189 yards and 1 TD for Dalton.
Check out Battle Red Blog for the latest on the Texans and Cincy Jungle for the latest on the Bengals, and head on over to the SBNation NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.
Bengals Vs. Texas, NFL Playoffs 2012: Expert Predictions Split On AFC Wild Card Round Winner
The Houston Texans will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in the opening round of the 2012 NFL playoffs. The Texans enter the game banged up and depleted by injuries, but hold home-field advantage and a superior regular-season record.
Many of the nation's football experts and columnists have released their predictions for the opening round of the postseason, to go along with SB Nation's take on Cincinnati's chances in the game and the reasons why the Texans might be favored to win.
Sports Illustrated has released their picks and predictions for the entire NFL offseason. Six of the eight contributors select the Texans to win the game. All of those contributors have Houston then losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the following round. The two contributors who selected the Bengals to win anticipate that the Bengals would then lose to the Patriots in the second round.
ESPN has released their picks for the Wild-Card Weekend. The results there are decidedly more even. Between the eight columnists and two aggregators, five select the Texans to win, while five select the Bengals.
If there was any doubt that the game is anticipated to be evenly-matched and close, CBS Sports provides just one opinion as means of expert pick for the game, provided by Pete Prisco. He predicts that the game will finish with a final score of 20-17 in favor of the visiting Bengals. Here's what Prisco has to say:
The jury seems to be out on this game, as it figures to be the hardest to predict in the first weekend of playoffs.
For more on the Bengals, be sure to check out the SB Nation blog Cincy Jungle. For more on the Texans, head over to Battle Red Blog. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more updates on Saturday's game.
Jan 07 3:31p by Bill Hanstock - 0 comments