Game 1:
Saturday, January 5, 2013
4:30pm – NBC
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
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| Andre Johnson had 90 receiving yards and a score in last year's playoff meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. Photo credit to playmakeronline.com. |
While the Bengals and Texans did not face off this season,
they are no strangers to one another. In the first game of Wild-Card weekend
last year, Houston defeated Cincinnati at home in the Texans’ first ever
playoff appearance. They did so with T.J. Yates under center due to a season
ending injury Matt Schaub sustained. Now, Schaub is back and I give a lot of
weight in my decision to that alone.
What Cincinnati does
have going for them is that they are red hot. The Texans have lost three of
their last four. Cincinnati has won
three of their last four and seven of their last eight.
While Houston’s losses have all come to playoff teams –
Green Bay, New England, Minnesota and Indianapolis – the Bengals are coming off
wins against Baltimore and a Pittsburgh team that was still searching for a
wild-card birth when they met in Week 16. Beyond that, however, Cincinnati's only quality win came against Washington in Week 3, and it’s hard to
tell how much that really counts for them now.
Andy Dalton has had a solid sophomore season, becoming the
third player in NFL history to throw for 20+ touchdowns in each of his first
two seasons. He also threw a lot of interceptions, rarely having a game in
which he didn’t throw one. Against a very good Texans defense, I have a hard
time believing that he will completely avoid turnovers.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis has been great this season, as well.
But again I give an edge to Houston here. J.J. Watt does so many things well,
and though I’m not sure he’s their guy in stopping the run, he allows the true
run-stoppers on their defense to do their job effectively.
If Cincinnati is going to win, it will have to be on the
merit of strong defensive play and on the back of A.J. Green. The second-year
wide receiver has been phenomenal and is already being compared to Calvin
Johnson. He is one of the most athletic players in the NFL and he runs routes
very well.
I trust Houston more than Cincinnati in this game, though.
Matt Schaub has not put up the numbers he did in 2010, but he is still a solid
quarterback and Andre Johnson has been terrific this year. My real
deal-breaker, though, is Arian Foster. I don’t expect him to have a huge game, but he is the kind of back
who can run to convert a third-down and keep a drive going. Between him and
Andre Johnson, I think Houston has a little more than Cincinnati will be able
to handle.
Puff’s Pick:
Cincinnati Bengals – 13
Houston Texans – 24
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