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.
Bengals Vs. Texas, NFL Playoffs 2012: Expert Predictions Split On AFC Wild Card Round Winner
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.
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.
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans, NFL Playoffs 2012: Tom Hammond And Mike Mayock To Announce Afternoon Game On NBC
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.
Read Article >NFL Playoffs Predictions: Bengals Are Underdogs But Can Beat Texans
We asked our Bengals blog, Cincy Jungle, why the Bengals will win and why they’ll lose:
Check out SB Nation’s NFL playoffs picks. Here is the complete 2012 NFL playoffs schedule.
Read Article >NFL Playoffs Predictions: Houston Texans Favored Over Cincinnati Bengals
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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012, Bengals Vs. Texans: Cincinnati Relatively Healthy, Houston Not As Much
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.
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans, NFL Playoffs 2012: Watch Live Online
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.
For more on Saturday’s game, be sure to head over to Bengals blog Cincy Jungle and Texans blog Battle Red Blog.
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans, NFL Playoffs 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule And More
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.
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.
Read Article >NFL Playoffs: Who Are The X-Factors On Wild Card Weekend?


INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 22: T.J. Yates #13 of the Houston Texans runs with the ball during the NFL against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 22, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Getty ImagesSB Nation’s NFL playoffs roundtable moves away from upset watch and looks to the x-factors on Wild Card weekend.
Which player is the biggest x-factor this weekend? By that we mean, a team will win or lose largely due to which player. In this roundtable we have the Texans’ Arian Foster represented along with Ben Roethlisberger and T.J. Yates.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: Key Matchup For Bengals Is Stopping Texans Rushing Attack
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:
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans, NFL Playoffs 2012: Game Schedule And More
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.
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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: A.J. Green A Top Ten Receiver According To Mike Mayock
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.
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans, NFL Playoffs 2012: Picks And Predictions Mixed
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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: Bengals QB Andy Dalton Expected To Play Despite 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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: Bengals’ Andy Dalton Was Hospitalized With Illness
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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012, Bengals Vs. Texans: Cincy Has Had Success On The Road
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.
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans, NFL Playoffs 2012: Teams Tied 3-3 All-Time
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.
Read Article >NFL Playoffs 2012: Andy Dalton Misses Bengals Practice With Illness
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.
Read Article >NFL Playoffs: How The Houston Texans Earned Their First Postseason Berth

Getty ImagesThe Texans carried the stigma of a newcomer. The uniforms look different. The players are strangers. It’s the little things that make expansion teams feel like the new kid that moved in from Cleveland in the middle of seventh grade: a curiosity, politely acknowledged, yet mostly unseen.
Like most teams still playing, Houston got a little bit of luck in the win. Atlanta picked off Yates and returned it for a touchdown, but a defensive holding penalty took away what might have been the game-winner. With a new set of downs inside their own 30-yard line, Houston improbably started running the ball.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: Texans Excited For First Playoff Berth In Franchise History
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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: Bengals Can’t Blow Another Big Lead Vs. Texans
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:
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.
Read Article >Bengals Vs. Texans: T.J. Yates Expected To Start Despite Injury
For more on Yates’ status, be sure to follow this StoryStream. Check out Texans blog Battle Red Blog for more analysis.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card, Bengals Vs. Texans: Andre Johnson Could Get 45-50 Snaps
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.
Read Article >NFL Playoffs Schedule 2012: Bengals Improbable Run Continues Against Texans
SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle is obviously excited about Cincy’s improbable run and recaps the season nicely in this post.
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.
Read Article >AFC Wild Card 2012: Two Rookie QBs Square Off For First Time In Playoff History
Since the AFC/NFC merger, only 11 rookie quarterbacks have started a playoff game.
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.
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