Good morning Bengals Nation! It's time to rise and shine on this relatively freezing morning. It's time to dash off to work or school before anyone notices that you aren't there. Is it me, or is it way too early to be awake right now? Yeah it is, enough said. Anyways, if you're like me, someone who is a zombie before noon then grab yourself two gallons of coffee and wake up.
The Bengals did it. They made the playoffs, something that none of us could fathom before the season started. Andy Dalton has already led the Bengals to half as many playoff appearances as Carson Palmer did during his seven years as a Bengal. Hopefully this isn't going to be a fluke. Instead, let's hope that this is going to be the beginning of sustained success for the Bengals. As we all know, this franchise has seen more than it's fair share of downs.... cough cough the 90's.
The Bengals will travel to Houston to take on the Texans during the first round of the playoffs. And guess what. This is a very winnable game for Cincinnati. The Texans are already without their first and second string quarterbacks. The key for the Bengals will be to stop the running game. The Texans have possibly the most dynamic running duo in the league in Arian Foster and Ben Tate. If the Bengals can limit the damage from this combination then they will hopefully be in decent shape to win their first playoff game in my lifetime. But the biggest thing is that the Bengals are going to have to be able to stop the Texans from making any last minute comebacks. We shall see what happens this weekend for the Bengals as they pursue a win over the Texans.
Alright here is a look at what you may have missed or overlooked from Monday.
0 recs | 68 comments
Picking a winner in this game is tough
Both sides are very even, bot rely on the running game to set up the passing game. Both teams have good defenses.
I give the Texans the nod, with the HFA. HFA against Atlanta showed what kind of damage the fans can do to the opposing teams offense.
I think this will be a very hard fought contest, but the Texans at home will be too much.
Houston 27 Cincinnati 16
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
I really respect what Houston
has done this season, but the Bengals play better on the road. Homefield is huge for you guys, but this Bengals team is young and loves going against the odds. Also, Andy is from Houston. You don’t think he’s looking to play lights out with his family and friends sitting in he stands? Going to be a good, hard-fought football game in my eyes.
whodeycommish14 - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Dalton is still a rookie
and this Defense will eat him up, especially if you can’t establish a running game. Both of these teams are young, and Andre Johnson at home in his first ever playoff game. This will be a hard fought game.
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Roadhouse doesn't play like a Rookie though.
That’s the thing, your starting QB, Yates, has been playing like a Rookie of late. I can remember one game this season where Andy looked bad and that was against a stingy 9’ers D. He threw three picks at Baltimore and still didn’t look like a Rookie while throwing for nearly 400 yds and leading them back into the game. TJ Yates will also be introduced to Carlos Dunlap on Saturday. He didn’t play against Houston last time and the Bengals still got to Yates five times (not mentioning pressures and hits).
whodeycommish14 - January 3, 2012
Andy dalton is a rookie and texans will eat him up? Funny texans didn’t eat them up last time.
Bengalsredsvictim - January 3, 2012 via mobile
You’re too sure of yourself. We had you guys beat in every aspect of the game last time we played and we broke down. Mental mistakes. Our defense is healthier. Also, Johnson is back but still ailing and I think that will Benefit us. You’re playing a hungry team who won’t forget what happened last team we played! Payback is a bitch.
Bengalsredsvictim - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Back at ya
you are too sure of yourselfWreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
I’m not too sure. Anyone will tell you. Until we collapsed we were winning the running game, the defensive game, and the passing game. Look it doesn’t matter. What matters is who comes to play on Sat. Good luck!
Bengalsredsvictim - January 3, 2012 via mobile
agreed
Good Luck to you as well.
It is playoff football, and we are both happy to be there
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
as to
you owned every aspect of the game.
Here is the box score
What did you say again?
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Funny
I thought Yates was a rookie also…
cincyboi - January 3, 2012 via mobile
He is
And the same points apply to him, with out a running game. The Bengals D will eat him up.
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
I just hope NBC will show us where Andy's parents sit early and often
emeybee - January 3, 2012
I would imagine
His parents get better seats for this game
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Probably because Andy will buy them himself
lol
Helmsy - January 3, 2012
I would charge em up
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
And they live near Dallas which is about 4 hours way from Houston
So I would imagine them buying some decent tickets themselves to watch the game
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
I have to disagree
I do believe the Texans are a great team. I Shaub was available then I feel you guys could go deep in playoffs. I predicted a Bengals loss on Sunday as well as backing into playoffs. I just don’t see the bengals losing this one. Here is why- the bengals had Houston right where they wanted them and let that game slip. They let Yates Embarass them. Which I think they want revenge. Dalton is playing in his hometown. Where he almost gains home field advantage with confidence in front of friends, fans, and family. I give bengals nod. 24-16
Bengalsredsvictim - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Family, and friends.
I’m sure the tickets to his family, will surely out weight the 70,000 other fans screaming their head off.
Home field advantage: DaltonWreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Spacing Fail
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
If your starting Delhomme
Bengals 30 Texans 10
Bengalsfan024 - January 3, 2012
Yates is starting
He was only playing one drive(90 yards and a TD), and then complained that his shoulder was a little sore. The team took extra precaution and had him evaluated during the game. All this speculation for nothing. The Bengals couldn’t score 30 at home against this D, so 30 is a delusion.
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
any thing can happen on any given sunday
but yea, I don’t see either team getting into the 30’s. I think the score will be like 28-24 or something like that.
Im really hoping the bengals blow the the texans by the second half so I can move down towards the field by the 4th quarter lol
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
^^ hahaha
Easy on the man.
whodeycommish14 - January 3, 2012
I agree
I dont think anyone is scoring that high….The Texans D-line is really good..even without Mario Williams….If we can run the ball…we win
ticalcaldwell - January 3, 2012
we covered delusions right
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
i have a question?
when was the last time the texans won by more than 7 points?
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
When Matt Schaub was Quarterback
Return Question: When was the last victory against a team with a winning record?
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
I would imagine when we beat the Titans
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
My point is
Neither team should be feeling totally confident for a victory.
This will be a good game, and as far as I am concerned this season was successful
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
I agree with you on this
“as far as I am concerned this season was successful”
However, I still want to break the curse of Bo!
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
And us with Bud
not to mention that 93 championship game
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
i agree
both teams have struggled to put it all together before the playoffs… but I think it will be a close one!
only downside, whoever wins plays the pats the following week…
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
No
We get the Ravens If we win,
If you win you get to the Patriots
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Your assuming the Steelers will beat the Broncos...
with them losing Mendenhall, that might be a little tough. Plus, does Ryan Clark have some sort of illness where playing at Mile High might be bad for his health?
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
I am not sure about Ryan Clark
and the highest remaining seed plays the Ravens, while the lowest remaining seed plays the Patriots. Regardless of what happens in the other game, our next opponent is set
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
You are correct, sorry I don't know what I was
thinking…
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
Ryan Clark is out per somebody on Yahoo
I read it this morning
emeybee - January 3, 2012
good catch, but yea the only team that concerns me in the playoffs are the pats
just because they can score at will, but all other match ups are going to be close. Unless somehow we play pitt at pitt, then I can see some more home cooking.
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
But they have zero defense
AJ will have a game
emeybee - January 3, 2012
Whats funny though is you can show all the confidence you want
but as soon as a Bengal fan shows confidence, we are delusional… come on son
Oregonbengalsfan - January 3, 2012
30 points
on the number 2 defense (in their building) is delusional, not just a confident homer.
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Well....WreckNTexan
We beat the Bills when they were 3-0 and we beat the Titans when they were 4-3…
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
As to winning by more then seven
That was against the Buccaneers, when my super bowl aspirations were ruined.
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
yea I feel for you guys, even Matt Leinart would have been a better option than Yates
If Schaub and Williams didn’t get hurt this year, this may have been the year you guys won it all… But its still crazy how good you guys are playing with all the injuries that happened this year…
The only thing with Yates and the texans is the decline the last 3 games, doesn’t look to promising! And same here for the bengals, we can seem to close out games or elimate penalites during crucial times.
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
we cant* seem to close out games***
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
We got them right where we want them...
Giving us no respect. Claiming we backed our way into the playoffs (in actuality, we stood our ground, and no one moved us). Claiming we only beat one team with a winning record (Buffalo 3-0, Tennessee 4-3 at the time we played them). Unlike New England who only played 3 games against playoff teams, we played 7! We will now play our 11th game against a top 10 defense! Tyler Yates being confident since he won the last time they played us…a team playing it’s first ever playoff game….the perfect storm to bring down the Texans! Go Bengals…24-13!!!!
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
palewook - January 3, 2012
Titles are appreciated for larger images.
That way users can hide them and not have to scroll around them.
TCfromDubVee - January 3, 2012
yeah
hard for me to know whats larger though, since not everyone is in 640 anymore, i run in 1920
palewook - January 3, 2012
I run 1920 as well.
I just wanted to give a polite heads up adding a title would at least give other users a way to hide it.
TCfromDubVee - January 3, 2012
then you understand
at 1920 this looks like a 320 or smaller image
palewook - January 3, 2012
It's a WhoDey kinda week
Texans are gonna be bruised and battered just enough for the bengals to ride a wave to a second playoff round!!!
Toasted_Orange_Monster - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Im going to the game in Houston this weekend!
hopefully the bengals come through this game and build a little momentum before they play the Pats…. I’ll probably be in the noise bleed section but ill be cheering my ass off!
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
Make us fellow Bengal fans proud.
whodeycommish14 - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Awesome!
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
Bengles will WIN
Wipe the slat clean, Bring out all the new plays and watch how much damage we do.
Bengals will win in a dominating fashion.
Major sacks …… and pressure(from our D)
Offense – A.j green – And Gresham play major rolls and B-scott makes more than a few clutch plays in this one .
77CincyRage - January 3, 2012
So I thought
AJ was a little slow on the field Sunday and didn’t quite make the impact that we needed from him … Is it his shoulder? Or are the coaches taking it easy with him? He kinda disappeared like Simpson has through the season.
Toasted_Orange_Monster - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Dalton hasn't played great lately but,
I wonder was he playing conserative based on how uncertain our playoff future was. Maybe since its a win or go home game this weekend he’ll play lights out and freely. Granted, this past week was basically that. The other games scores werent certain. Just saying- We’ll see. Hoping for a great game.
Cincinnati222 - January 3, 2012
i think they did kinda pull back when they found out the score of the other games
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
I dont think so
we didnt get the chiefs score until the end of the game….I do think Dalton is in front of his home town area….and this is huge…also…Dalton is 3-0 in reliant stadium……jus sayin….
ticalcaldwell - January 3, 2012
NFL record in Reliant?
WreckNTexan - January 3, 2012
Three keys to winning
1 – Red zone offense. The Bengals have had trouble lately scoring in the red zone. That has to change or it’s one-and-done
2 – Contain the run. Foster, Tate…nuff said.
3 – Stop the TE! I’ve seen too many games where the D couldn’t stop the TE, and Daniels is an excellent receiving TE.
spif - January 3, 2012
Key Number 1
is the most important key to me because we could have won a few more games if we were able to capitalize on our early posessions and score TDS instead of FGs and FGs instead of punts or turnovers.
AMAS85 - January 3, 2012
I think it will come down to coaching and that's
why I am not so confident the Bengals will get their first ever road playoff victory.
The Bengals try to play “old-school” “establish the run and stop the run don’t turn the ball over” kind of football. That’s Marvin-Ball. And I personally hate Marvin-Ball. Marvin-Ball is a relic inherited from the crypt of Red Miller (look him up, young people).
On offense the Bengals will probably for the umpty-umpth time attempt to get Cedric Benson going. But since he’s not really much of a threat that leaves the Texans free to do what the Ravens did and blanket AJ Green and daring the Bengals to throw to someone else. Anyone else. Especially deep balls. If I am the opposing coach I make the Bengals prove that Gresham or Simpson can go down the field and get the deep ball. Because most of the time they don’t put that in their playbook, it seems to me. And God forbid they ever throw a seam pass or any kind of deep pattern to a running back (almost connected on one vs the Ravens, but most of the time he’s not even on the field)
On defense, the Bengals frequently sell out looking to shut down the opposing team’s running game. And the Bengals safeties are weak. Hence the deep middle is frequently open, and they display a continued lack of success stopping anybody’s tight ends when it counts. If I am the Texans on offense I come out throwing to my tight ends, my slot receiver, and my running backs in the middle of the field, until the Bengals stop that. Mix in the occasional seam route deep, as well. If the Bengals blitz to stop the pass, I throw screens. I tell my QB throw it to anybody covered by a linebacker or safety. When I run, I make everything misdirection to try to catch overpursuit and guys like Maulaga who are frequently in the wrong place.
I hope Lewis and Gruden prove me wrong. But I think the Bengals tendencies are way too easy to read and have been for years.
occams_tiger_teeth - January 3, 2012
One point...
And I have been frustrated by Benson all season long. For a guy who has only been in the league for 7 years, he looks sometimes like it has been 70 years…anyways on to my point…Benson did have nearly a 100 rushing against the Texans in the first half, the last time we played them. Yes, he did have negative yards in the second half…see my frustration with him comment… :)
Unbeliever - January 3, 2012
Agree witchoo on "Marvin-Ball"
It reminds me of when Tubby was basketball coach at Kentucky. A slower, controlled offense and a solid defense. It will win games, but rarely gets you deep into the tourney (his only win was with the team he inherited from Pitino).
But I think the Bengals will be able to pressure Yates, and if Dunlap is close to 100% he can disrupt the passing game.
spif - January 3, 2012
marvin's offense
has always reminded me of a cowher lite.
palewook - January 3, 2012
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