Official Texans vs. Bengals Game Thread, 12/24/2016

[Arky]

Week 16 finds the 5-8-1 Cincinnati Bengals coming to NRG for the rare Saturday Night game on CBS/NFLN. The Bengals are coming off a home loss to the Steelers 24-20. Bengal QB Andy Dalton is having a decent enough year throwing for 3712 yards, hitting at a 64.4% completion rate with 16 TDs and 7 INTs and a 91.9 rating. The main rusher for the Bengals is Jeremy Hill (831 yds, 3.9 avg). RB Giovani Bernard tore his ACL in the Buffalo game is on IR. Dalton's favorite targets in the passing game are AJ Green (964 yds, 14.6 avg), Brandon LaFell (665 yds, 13.0 avg), Tyler Boyd (539 yds, 10.8 avg) and Tyler Eifert (394 yds, 13.6 avg). On the other side of the ball, the Bengal defense is currently rated 21st giving up 359.1 yds/gm and 11th giving up 20.9 pts/gm. The Bengal's giveaway/takeaway is currently at +2 (Texans at -8).

The Texans are coming off a 21-20 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. This game could or could not have playoff implications for them - it depends on how the Titans do earlier in the day....

These two teams met last year on MNF with the Texans pulling out the 10-6 road win.

Bengals are 4-10 ATS (against the spread). Texans are 6-7-1 ATS.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TV = NFLN/CBS, 7:25 pm, Saturday, Dec 24

Announcers = Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

The line = Texans by 1½ to pickem

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (early) = Tennessee @ Jacksonville, Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker

FOX (early) = Minnesota @ Green Bay, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

FOX (late) = Arizona @ Seattle, Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch

NFLN Sunday late afternoon = Baltimore @ Pittsburgh, Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other prime time:

TNF = NY Giants @ Philadelphia (NBC; NFLN), Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth

SNF = Denver @ Kansas City (NBC)

MNF = Detroit @ Dallas (ESPN)

[Arky]

Video - Teddy Covers breaks down Cincy vs. Houston - 3:05 TRT. His conclusion: Bengals are coming to play....

---------------------------------------------------

Deandre Hopkins still has a shot at 1,000 receiving yards this year. He's currently at 788 yds so he'll probably need a couple of 100+ games to finish the year.....

[HPF Bob]

I'm sure one of the things Marvin Lewis fears most is another game versus a Texans backup quarterback...

[Arky]

Sarah Barshop
ESPN Staff Writer

RB Lamar Miller (ankle) and CB Johnathan Joseph (ribs) are both questionable for Saturday's game against the Bengals.

Let L Miller rest - time for Blue and Hunt to step up.

------------------------------------------------------

Vontaze Burfict, Tyler Eifert, Clint Boling won't play for Bengals but WR AJ Green (hamstring) will play.

[HPF Bob]

While you're waiting, enjoy a little look into not very long ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ft9tf-5XiQ&t=5767s

[HPF Bob]

Remember two years ago when we beat the Ravens with Case Keenum and a heavy dose of the Wildcat? I could see something similar. We even have Braxton Miller, if healthy, for a few trick plays. Wasn't Jonathan Grimes our wildcat back with Foster doing some of the work?

[chuck]

I think you let Dan Savage play like an NFL quarterback and save the wildcat and all that other cute bullshit for another day.

Let's go out and dickstomp these clowns and win the division playing like a real team, not some zany six-man outfit from West Muleshoe.

[Nconroe]

Titans lost today, so if we beat Cincy tonight we win the division again.

If Savage as good as last week, a normal offense game plan should do well.

[Arky]

Texans win the toss and defer. Bengals to receive.

----------------------------------------------------

Bengals bring the kickoff back to their 41. Bengal's ball.

----------------------------------------------------

Hill for 2.

Hill loses 3. 3rd and 11 coming up.

Dalton pressured, throws it away, inc. Bengals will have to punt.

Ervin fair catches the punt at the Texan 24. Texan's ball.

13:15 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Blue for 3.

Pass to Fuller gets 6. 3rd and 1 coming up.

Prosch goes for 3 or 4 and the 1st down.

Savage can't find a receiver and throws it away, inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Blue for 3. 3rd and 7 coming up.

Savage gets sacked. Texans will have to punt.

Lechler's punt is brought back to the Bengal 16. Bengal's ball.

10:01 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Pass to LaFell good for 9.

Hill for about 4 and the 1st down.

Pass to Core goes for loss of 1.... 2nd and 11 coming up.

Pass to Hewitt gets 8. 3rd and 3 coming up.

Pass to Core is broken up by Bouye, inc. Bengals will have to punt.

Ervin brings the punt back to the Texan 22. Texan's ball with 7:16 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Savage sacked. Loss of 7.

Savage sacked, again.....flag down....holding on the Texans is declined. Brings up 3rd and 23.

Delay to Hunt picks up 6. Texans will have to punt.

Bengals bring the punt back to their 43. Bengal's ball with 5:19 left in the 1st qtr.

[popanot]

Might be a good idea to 1)block someone, 2)roll out once in awhile, or 3)try a combination of both 1 and 2.

[Arky]

Burkhead carries for 2.

Screen to Core gets 7. 3rd and 1 coming up.

Burkhead for 2 and the 1st down.

Pass to Core is broken up by Bouye, inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Dalton pressured, throws complete to Core for 2 yards. 3rd and 8 coming up.

Pass to Boyd over his head, inc. Bengals will have to punt.

Ervin fair catches at the Texan 13. Texan's ball with 2:33 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Blue for 1.

Blue for 6. 3rd and 3 coming up.

Pass to Fuller broken up, inc. Texans to punt.

Punt is fair caught at the Bengal 28. Bengal's ball with 1:05 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Hill for 2.

Hill loses 2. 3rd and 10 coming up.

End of the 1st qtr.

--------------------------------------------------

On 3rd and 10, pass to Core gets 6. Bengals will have to punt.

Ervin fair catches at the Texan 18. Texan's ball with 14:13 left in the half.

[Arky]

Blue for 3.

Blue for about 3 more. 3rd and 4 coming up.

Oy, pass to Fido is dropped, inc. Texans will have to punt.

Punt is fielded and tackled immediately at the Bengal 28.

12:40 left in the half.

[Arky]

Dalton's pass off the mark, inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Pass to Core gets 9. 3rd and 1 coming up.

Deep pass to Core broken up by Bouye, inc. Bengals will have to punt.

Punt is fielded and run out of bounds at the Texan 17. Texan's ball with 11:39 left in the half.

[Big Texas]

This has all the makings of a typical prime time Texans game...

[Arky]

Blue for no gain.

Draw to Blue gets 5. 3rd and 5 coming up.

Pass to Fuller behind him, inc. Texans will have to punt.

Punt is brought back to the 23 of the Bengals. Bengal's ball with 10:04 left in the half.