As I did last year, I will be breaking down each playoff matchup in its own post. Be sure to check out my predictions for all four games.
Game 1:
Saturday, January 7, 2012
4:30pm – NBC
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
This is a very interesting matchup for many reasons, not the least of which is that two rookie quarterbacks will be facing off in this one.
Andy Dalton is one of my favorites for rookie of the year, with only Cam Newton and Von Miller also being in the running, in my opinion. T.J. Yates has had a rough last few weeks, but did pretty well in his first outings of the season.
Yates has said he feels very confident this week, but no matter how he does, I think the Bengals have the edge in the passing game. Though Andre Johnson is terrific, Yates has to get him the ball, and I don’t think he can do that enough to give his team a huge life through the air. That said, he doesn’t really have to because the Texans have a huge advantage running the ball. Arian Foster continued to show that he can have huge performances this season after leading the league in rushing in 2010. In addition, Ben Tate has had his share of big games, and no matter which is on the field, the Bengals have to respect the Texans’ rushing attack.
The Texans also have an advantage on defense. After being one of the lower ranked defensive units last season, Wade Phillips has done a fantastic job turning them around this season, one of the reasons why the Texans are making their first postseason appearance in franchise history despite losing Matt Schaub to injury early in the season.
Don’t expect the Bengals to fall easily, but they will fall this week.
My pick:
Houston beats Cincinnati, 27-16
Other Predictions:
Lions @ Saints
Falcons @ Giants
Steelers @ Broncos
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