Andrew Tie
The Houston Texans host the Cincinnati Bengals in Houston at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. For the first time in NFL history, two rookie quarterbacks will be going at it. For the Texans, rookie TJ Yates was thrust into the role after Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down with injuries. For the Benglas, rookie Andy Dalton was named starter after being drafted last year, so he's had the role throughout the whole year. Naturally, the people to watch in this game are Yates and Dalton with the better player determining the outcome, right? Wrong. The Texans have cautiously brought Yates along, letting him do what he does best with hitting tight ends Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen for the most part and WR Andre Johnson when he can. Dalton is much more involved in the Bengals offense, so there's nothing new there. But here are some matchups to watch.
Arian Foster/Ben Tate vs. Bengals's Run Defense
Foster and Tate have combined to rush for over 2000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those are some crazy good numbers. However, the Bengals have the 10th best run defense in the league. But last week against a good Ravens run offense, the Bengals gave up over 200 yards, compared to their weekly average of 104.7 yards. The Texans are second in the NFL, averaging over 153 yards a game.
WR AJ Green vs. CB Johnathan Joseph
Another rookie, AJ Green, has been spectacular for the Bengals this year. In his first year, he's caught 7 touchdowns with 1057 yards to boast. On the other side, Joseph has been a great pickup in the offseason, giving the Texans a legitimate lockdown corner in the secondary. The problem for Green is that the Texans have the 3rd best passing defense in the league, only giving up 189.7 yards per game.
I think overall, the Texans will be able to dictate the game with the run and keep the Bengals on their heels. This will open up the pass for Yates. And on defense, Joseph and the Texans have been playing really well and will be able to hold Dalton and Green in check.
Houston Texans 23
Cincinnati Bengals 17
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