If you were looking for an exciting start to this year's NFL playoffs, this was not the game for you. The Houston Texans made short work of the Cincinnati Bengals with a 19-13 win on Saturday night. The win moves the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs for the second season in a row.
Bengals vs. Texans, 2013 NFL Playoffs final score: Houston wins a snoozer
Arian Foster and J.J. Watt turned in dominant performances on Saturday night to lead their team past the Bengals for the second season in a row.
Thomas B. Shea
The Bengals actually had a lead at one point, when Leon Hall picked off Matt Schaub in the second quarter. He returned it for a touchdown that gave the Bengals a 7-6 lead. It was the only touchdown Cincinnati would score. Andy Dalton finished the game 14-for-30 with just 127 yards and an interception.
Cincinnati’s defense had little impact on the Texans after Hall’s interception. A unit that had 51 sacks during the regular season, second-most in the NFL, failed to bring down Schaub once.
Schaub -- named to the Pro Bowl this year, which raised a few eyebrows -- walked off the field with a 29-for-38 line with 262 yards and an interception. Arian Foster carried the offense with a touchdown and 140 rushing yards.
Box score hero: Arian Foster had the only offensive performance of note in this stinker. The Texans' running back ran for 140 yards on 32 carries, scoring the game's lone offensive touchdown. Foster became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards in his first three career playoff games.
Injury report: Bengals corner Adam Jones, the cornerback formerly known as Pacman, left the game in the second half with a leg injury. Details were not immediately available, but he now has the offseason to recover.
Did they cover? Houston opened as 3.5-point favorites. The line moved to 4.5 points later in the week.
See More:
