Seizing second chances is always an important part of life.
The AFC South champion Houston Texans will get their second chance on Sunday afternoon after securing a rematch with New England by downing the Cincinnati Bengals, 19-13, in the wild-card round.
Whether Houston can make it count against a Patriots team, which got to rest last week thanks in large part to kick-starting the Texans' 1-3 late-season collapse with a 42-14 rout in Week 14, remains to be seen.
"It was meaningful for our whole team what we're trying to accomplish," said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who threw four touchdown passes in the Week 14 win. "You don't take these things for granted. It's a privilege to be in this position and to be one of the teams to have played well enough over the course of the year to deserve the first-round bye."
Some of Houston's marquee talent shined on the big stage last weekend. Running back Arian Foster rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries, becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for 100-or-more yards in his first three career playoff games as the Texans ousted the Bengals from the postseason for the second straight year.
Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown was dominant in leading Foster and likely Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who paced the Texans' seventh-ranked defense with 20 1/2 sacks, a mind-blowing 39 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hits, 16 passes defensed and four forced fumbles during the regular season, was his usual disruptive force, recording five tackles and a sack with two passes defended.
"I think we controlled the line of scrimmage and any time we do that, we're going to be tough to beat," said Foster, who finished with 174 yards from scrimmage.
The Texans defense held Cincinnati to just 198 yards and an 0-for-9 mark on third downs, marking the first time since the 1988 AFC Championship Game that a defense didn't allow an opponent to convert on third down.
To top the Patriots, however, the Texans will need far more from quarterback Matt Schaub, who missed last season's 31-10 victory over the Bengals in the playoffs due to a foot injury.
Schaub finished 29-of-38 for 262 yards with one interception in his first career playoff start. The numbers were fine for but Schaub couldn't find the end zone and more will be needed against a high-powered Patriots team which sports the NFL's No. 1 offense.
"We know what it takes to win and that's play good road football and we didn't do that last time we played up there," Schaub said. "We're going to have a good week of preparation, we're going to move on from this one, and we're going to be excited to go up there."
In Houston's 42-14 loss at New England on Monday Night Football back on Dec. 10, Brady torched the Texans with an up-tempo offense, throwing for the four touchdowns and 296 yards.
The Patriots' defense, meanwhile, held the Texans to just 14 points after Houston entered the game averaging 29.3 points per game. The Pats shut out the Texans in the first half and built a 42-7 lead before Houston closed out the scoring with a meaningless TD late.
A matchup of what was the two top scoring teams in the league at the time was a mismatch from the outset. It took New England, the AFC East champions, only one possession to start its scoring barrage as the Patriots surpassed their then-average of 35.8 points per game.
"We understand the challenge that we have," said Houston head coach Gary Kubiak "That is what is awesome about this league; it's the ultimate challenge. The Patriots have been at this level for a long time. We had a rough trip up there last time, but we've earned our right to go back. We want to go back and play a lot better than we did last time."
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/10/3176270/nfl-playoff-preview-houston-13.html
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