NFL Playoff Preview - Cincinnati (9-7) at Houston (10-6) (ET)

The last time the Houston Texans faced the Cincinnati Bengals, the 10-year-old franchise locked up its first-ever trip to the playoffs.

While this won't be Cincinnati's first dance in the postseason, the Bengals were able to press fast forward on their development curve to grab a surprise spot in the NFL's second season.

That should make for some anxious and butterfly-filled stomachs this Saturday at Houston's Reliant Stadium, where the Texans and Bengals will both look to keep their surprise seasons going for another week.

Thanks to a solid core of quarterback Matt Schaub, wide receiver Andre Johnson and linebackers Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have been viewed as a team on the rise for the past few seasons, but they finally broke out this year by capturing an inaugural AFC South title and first trip to the postseason. Houston's 10-6 mark included a seven-game win streak that was capped with a 20-19 come-from-behind win at Cincinnati on Dec. 11 that locked up the division title.

That win was Houston's third without Schaub, who was lost for the season with a foot injury. Backup Matt Leinart appeared in just one game before his season was also cut short due to a shoulder injury, forcing rookie T.J. Yates into the starting role.

The Texans' defense has also been without Williams since early October because of a pectoral ailment, while Johnson was forced to sit out nine games this season thanks to injuries to both his hamstrings.

Still, Houston survived under Yates, but did get a scare when he was forced out of the club's 23-22 loss to Tennessee in the regular-season finale due to an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Head coach Gary Kubiak said on Monday that he thinks Yates could have came back into the game and should be ready to go for this playoff opener.

The Texans haven't won since Yates rallied his team from a 16-3 halftime deficit to beat the Bengals on a six-yard pass to Kevin Walter with only two seconds left on the clock. Houston has lost three straight since, but tight end Joel Dreessen isn't worried about the winless finish.

"We're ripping off the rear-view mirror. The regular season is over with and the Texans are officially invited to the postseason," said Dreessen. "We open up at home [Saturday] and that's our focus right now. It's a whole new season and we have to play at our best."

The city of Houston will host a playoff game for the first time since the Oilers tangled with the Kansas City Chiefs at the Astrodome on Jan. 16, 1994, and linebacker Brian Cushing knows the pressure is on the Texans to produce.

"It's huge. but now it's loser-go-home from here on out," said Cushing. "We understand that. We have to come in and play the best kind of football possible and just continue to go."

Cincinnati wasn't at its best when it had a two-game win streak snapped with a 24-16 loss to Baltimore last Sunday. Still, the Bengals backed into the AFC's sixth seed thanks to some help to return to the postseason for the second time in three years. They were one-and-done in 2009 despite an AFC North title and are in as a Wild Card team this year for the first time since 1975.

After nabbing Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft and handing starting quarterback duties over to fellow rookie Andy Dalton, a second-round pick, the Bengals improved by five wins from last year.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2573535/nfl-playoff-preview-cincinnati.html

stop online piracy act protect ip act spear of destiny rock hill sc kate middleton pregnant national book awards jessica sutta