To end that drought in Space City would be not just one small step, but one giant leap for the franchise.
“We need to go down there and win the football game,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “Two playoff appearances in two years is something to be proud of, but this group understands there’s more to it.”
The back-to-back playoff appearances are the franchise’s first since the 1981-82 seasons, but the bigger breakthrough would be to record the first postseason win since a 41-14 victory against Houston’s previous team, the Oilers, back on Jan. 6, 1991.
"Even though people didn't expect us to do get to the playoffs again, we did," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "To us, this is what we expected. Now, let's do something special. We expect to go get a win."
The fact that the game is a rematch against the same team in the same stadium can be beneficial for the Cincinnati players, many of whom said they were surprised by the noise and energy levels last year.
"Now we know what to expect," wide receiver Andrew Hawkins. "We're going down to a hostile Houston environment. It's loud. The fans are into it. It's hot. It's a lot of different things that as a young team last year – not to say we weren't ready for it – but we weren't used to. Now that we know what to expect, it's a different feeling."
The Bengals had just one false start penalty in that game 363 days ago, but several times quarterback Andy Dalton could be seen cupping his ears to try to hear the play call over the headset and there also was a fumble when center Kyle Cook snapped the ball too soon.
“I knew it was going to be a loud place, but it was definitely a great atmosphere for them last year,” Dalton said. “Their fans really got in to it. We’ve got to be ready for all of that. We have to make sure everyone is on the same page and communicating and hearing everything that is being called.”
Even though this will be the third time the Bengals and Texans have played in 13 months, which is more than they have faced some of their divisional rivals, there have been some major personnel changes on both sides since the two teams met in the playoffs and the December regular season game last year.
The Bengals were without cornerback Leon Hall last year, and they have a different running back in BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who is expected to play despite a lingering hamstring issue that kept him out of the regular season finale. They also have several rookies who will be making their first playoff appearance. One of them, right guard Kevin Zeitler, will be called upon to neutralize Houston's biggest defensive threat, J.J. Watt, the NFL leader in sacks (20.5) and the man who changed the course of last year's playoff game with his 29-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half.
"I know Kevin Zeitler very well, playing against him every day at Wisconsin in practice, and he's a very good football player," Watt said. "Obviously, they've had a couple changes, but you still have Andy Dalton back there. A.J. Green is a great receiver, and they're a very good football team. It's going to be a great challenge for us."
Green, who is headed to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, will be locked up in what should be one of the best individual matchups of the day against Houston Pro Bowl corner Johnathan Joseph, a former Bengal.
Like the Bengals, the Texans also have some changes from last year's game, one an addition in quarterback Matt Schaub and one a subtraction in linebacker Brian Cushing, a former Defensive Player of the Year who led the Texans in tackles in last year's playoff win but suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October.
Schaub was injured last year and did not face the Bengals in either game, but he’s come back with a Pro Bowl season, throwing for 4,008 yards with 22 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions.
He's one of six Pro Bowl players (running back Arian Foster, wide receiver Andre Johnson, tackle Duane Brown, guard Wade Smith and center Chris Meyers) on a Houston offense that ranks seventh in the NFL but has struggled in December. Over the last four games, three of them losses, the Texans have averaged just 16.3 points and 319.8 yards after putting up 29.3 points and 389.5 yards during an 11-1 start.
“(Schaub) has played very well with this team. He led them to 12 victories,” Houston head coach Gary Kubiak said. “This past month hasn’t been the most productive month offensively or individually for Matt. But it’s a group thing. There are a lot of things we can do better to help him. He has to do some things better. I have to do a better job for him. It’s going to come down to how this football team plays and not one player.”
Cincinnati counters the Texans' No. 7-ranked offense with the league's No. 6-ranked defense. The Bengals haven't allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points in a game since Peyton Manning and the Broncos beat them 31-23 on Nov. 4.
“They have been exceptional all year,” Kubiak said. “I think Zim (defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer) does one of the top jobs in football. Obviously, Marv (Marvin Lewis) has been a defensive guy his whole life. We’re going to have to play better than we have the past few weeks.”
While Houston has lost three of four, Cincinnati has won seven of eight. But the only win the Bengals care about is the next one.
“This game means the utmost to us,” Whitworth said. “For us to take our progression, and what this young team has been able to do in two years —developing and getting better – that’s the next step. It’s winning a playoff game and letting ourselves get some momentum in the playoffs. That’s the only goal, and the only thing anyone cares about.”
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