The Houston Texans earned their first playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals with suffocating defense and great running from Arian Foster. And, well, Andy Dalton helped.
Bengals Vs. Texans Final Score: Houston Wins First NFL Playoff Game, 31-10
The Bengals picked off Dalton three times, with J.J. Watt returning one for a touchdown, Foster ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and T.J. Yates kept a steady hand and found Andre Johnson for the wide receiver's first playoff touchdown in his ninth year in a 31-10 rout.
Yates threw for 159 yards and a touchdown, and Johnson had four catches for 90 yards.
Dalton started strong, but fell apart after throwing a pick to Watt in the second quarter. He finished with 252 yards on 27 completions in 42 attempts, but did not throw a touchdown pass, and the Bengals’ longest play in the passing game came on a 52-yard pass interference penalty.
The Bengals were even worse on the ground, combining to gain just 76 yards.
With the win, Houston improves to 11-6 on the year and moves on to face the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore in the AFC Divisional round. The Bengals fall to 9-8 and finish their season with the loss.
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. Here’s the complete 2012 NFL playoffs schedule.
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