Now that the wild-card round games are set, let’s take a quick look at what next weekend will bring. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5 AFC: 4:30 PM ET Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans These two teams faced off in last year’s playoffs, and the Bengals would probably prefer to forget that day. Houston beat the daylights out of the Bengals, 31-10, but at this point, it’s easy to see Cincinnati as the team with the momentum advantage. Marvin Lewis’ team ended their regular season with a three-game winning streak, including vital divisional victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, the Texans went from the one-seed to the third AFC team with their Sunday loss to the Indianapolis Colts, not to mention wins by the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. Houston has scored one offensive touchdown is its last 11 quarters, and a formerly dominant defense has started to fall apart a bit. The Bengals will counter that offense with a formidable front seven, and their star is defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who is the most intimidating and productive interior lineman in the game today. Of course, the Texans have their own not-so-secret weapon — J.J. Watt, who lines up all over the front, and has been just about unblockable all season. NFC: 8:00 PM ET Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers Didn’t we just see this movie? Yes, we did, when the Vikings beat the Packers at the Metrodome to close out their regular season and bag a playoff appearance. Quarterback Christian Ponder, who has run hot and cold all season, threw three touchdown passes against Green Bay’s inconsistent defense. But the Packers know where Minnesota’s bread is buttered — it all begins and ends with Adrian Peterson, who gained 409 yards on the ground against the Pack in two regular-season games. In addition, the Vikings’ defense has improved, thanks to the efforts of unsung players like Everson Griffen, Harrison Smith, and Antoine Winfield. The Packers present their own set of challenges, especially at Lambeau Field, and especially when Aaron Rodgers is on point. When these two teams met in Green Bay, however, Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes for 286 yards, but he only managed one touchdown and threw a pick. Atypically, Green Bay gained 152 yards on the ground in that 23-14 win, and Ponder threw two interceptions to keep the Vikings at bay. If Ponder can repeat more recent successes, this game could be a lot closer than people think. SUNDAY, JANUARY 6 AFC: 1:00 PM ET Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
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Wild-card matchups mix old and new in some intriguing battles (Shutdown Corner)
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