Wild-Card Weekend Preview: Saturday

After experiencing a lockout, so much uncertain and a record-breaking regular season, the NFL now reaches the postseason with some of the most unlikely of teams ready to crash the postseason party.


Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans:
Led by the young dynamic duo of rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, the Cincinnati Bengals roar into Houston, looking to avenge a last second lost to the Texans earlier in the year. After finishing the 2010 season a disappointing 4-12, head coach Marvin Lewis made some changes this season, trading veterans Chad Ochocinco (New England) and Carson Palmer (Oakland) and replacing them with new toys. Cincinnati is one of the three teams representing the AFC North in the postseason after finishing the year with 9-7, good enough for their 11th playoff berth in franchise history.

Veteran Nate Clements (22) will get his first
taste of the postseason Saturday in Houston.

Dalton, who was fresh off his BCS Rose Bowl win prior to being drafted by the Bengals, impressed everyone this season, passing for 3,398 yards with 20 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. There seems to be no question Dalton would have been this Offensive Rookie of the Year if not for the unbelievable season of Carolina's Cam Newton.

Green is also in that discussion after recording 65 receptions. for 1,057 yard and 7 TDs.

On the down side, Dalton, a Texan native, did lead the league with the most passes being either batted down or defended with 79, including eight of those coming in their Dec. 11 loss to Houston.

As for the defense, Cincinnati may have only intercepted 10 passes all year, ranking them 26th in the NFL, but they did hold opponent passers to only 211.6 yards per game (9th) and rushers to 104.7, good enough for 10th in the league.

Cornerback Nate Clements will be playing in first time career playoff game after playing more than a decade in the league before doing so.

The Texans on the other hand, have struggled offensively this season. Given some of the most dynamic offensive players in the game today, they were unable to stay on the field. Pro Bowl wideout Andre Johnson played in only 7 games this season with a hamstring injury and is probable for his matchup with Cincinnati.

Last year's leading-rusher, Arian Foster has also battled the injury bug, only played in 13 games. He is also listed as probable, last playing on Dec. 22, meaning Foster will be well rested for the Texans first playoff game in franchise history. Quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart both suffered season-ending injuries almost simultaneously this season, leaving the duties up to rookie T.J. Yates.

Despite Yates orchestrating a 13-play, 80-yard game-winning drive in the final 2:33 against the Bengals, he is the most unpolished of the two rookie quarterbacks starting on Saturday and will need a boost from his defense to send Houston fans home happy.

Johnson is said to be available for 45-50 snaps
on Saturday,  maybe  giving Yates just
enough to come away with a win.

The Texans led the NFL in passes batted down (19) and defended (94) to go along with 17 interceptions. Even though Houston's defense has been without Pro Bowler Mario Williams much of the season, defensive end Antonio Smith and 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Brian Cushing will be ready to go.

CIN X-Factor: Nate Clements

HOU X-Factor: Andre Johnson


Cincinnati, 21-17


Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints:
If you want offense, then Detroit visiting New Orleans should not be a disappointment. The Detroit Lions are making their first playoff appearance since 1999 and have drawn quite the opponent. Facing one of the best offenses in NFL history, the Lions offense is not something to sleep on.

Led by a healthy Matthew Stafford, who threw for 5,038 this season, and the superstar receiver Calvin Johnson, Detroit can score with the best of 'em. Averaging 300.9 passing yards per game, ranking them fourth in the league, the Lions offense will need to get off to fast start to keep pace with New Orleans.

Johnson, a.k.a Megatron, will need to have
 a big game if the Lions are to upset New
Orleans in the Superdome.

Selecting almost unanimously as a first team All-Pro, Johnson lead the NFL with 1,681 yards while hauling in 16 TDs, which ranked second.

However, Detroit's running game hasn't been as enjoyable to watch. Losing running back Javid Best for the season, the Lions struggled rushing the football, ranking 29th in the league in yards per game, averaging only 95. 2. Best finished as the team's leading rusher with 390 yards, but only played in six games, speaking volumes about a poor Detroit run game.

They have since relied on veterans Maurice Morries and Kevin Smith to carry the load, rushing for 672 yards, combined.

Third-year head coach Jim Schwartz will need to rely on his defense to help hold down the Saints high offensive attack. Pro Bowler Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch will need to be able to apply pressure on Saints' quarterback Drew Brees and force turnovers early and often. While the team's two leading tacklers, Stephen Tolluch and DeAndre Levy will need to prevent the Saints' receivers from getting into the open field.


It will be the first time that two quarterbacks who finished the regular season with 5,000-plus yards will square off in a postseason game. Brees eclipsed the 5,000-yard plateau for the second time in his career, but this time he had unfinished business to attend to. After falling 15 yards shy of breaking Hall of Famer Dan Marino's single-season passing mark (5,084) in 2008, Brees made sure history wouldn't repeat itself.

The former San Diego Charger passed for 5,476 yards this season, shattering Marino's 27-year record. He also set the single-season record for completions (468) and completion percentage (71.2). Now nearly two years removed from his first championship, Brees leads one of the most dangerous offenses into this year's postseason. New Orleans' 7,474 total offensive yards this season surpassed the Rams' 7075 total they set in 2000, giving them the most productive offense in league history.

Their offense finished the year second in points (547) and points per game (34.2) behind only the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers.

However, the Saints averaged 41.1 points per game at home, where they were 8-0 this season and will be Saturday when they welcome in Detroit.

The versatile game of running back Darren Sproles will play a major factor in New Orleans' road back to the Super Bowl. Signing as a free agent this past offseason, Sproles left the only organization he had ever know in San Diego and bolted for Louisiana. Under the offensive-minded genius of head coach Sean Payton, Sproles set the NFL record for most all-purpose yards in a single season with 2,696, making former first-round draft pick, Reggie Bush, a thing of the past.

Sproles is more dangerous than even Reggie
Bush was in Payton's offense.

Second-year tight end Jimmy Graham also enjoyed a fantastic year, catching 99 passes and scored 11 TDs. His 1,310 receiving yards had been the most by a tight end in a single season, that was until New England's Rob Gronkowski broke the mark less than an hour after Graham had set it.

There is no question the New Orleans offense can play with anyone in the game, but it will be Gregg Williams' blitz-happy defense that will need to play light outs if the Saints want to relive 2009.

DET X-Factor: Calvin Johnson


NO X-Factor: Darren Sproles


New Orleans, 45-28

Super Mario Loses Some Fire Power

Williams won't be needing his helmet the rest
of the 2011 campaign. 

Just when many thought the injury to Indianapolis' Peyton Manning, who led the Colts to a division title seven out of the last eight years, would open the door for the Houston Texans to take hold of the AFC South, the injury bug is back.

The Texans have lost outside linebacker Mario Williams for the rest of the season after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in their 25-20 loss to the emotionally driven Oakland Raiders Sunday.

Williams was injured after sacking Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell late in the first quarter. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time after their superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson was injured just a week prior.

Johnson sustained a right hamstring injury in their Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but has yet to play since, having to undergo a minor procedure to help repair his hamstring, putting his status for their Week 6 game in Baltimore in doubt.

As for Williams, who changed positions this spring from defensive end to outside linebacker to accommodate newly hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillip's 3-4 defensive scheme, was just starting to flourish in the new system. The 26-year-old linebacker had recorded 5 sacks through the team's first five games and had forced a fumble.

Williams has been placed on injured reserve and is said to be undergoing surgery sometime next week.

The injury to Williams leaves a gapping hole at the linebacker position for head coach Gary Kubiak with him now having to rely of his eight-year defensive end out of Oklahoma State, Antonio Smith, and linebacker Brian Cushing, to carry much of the defensive load.

Williams played his college ball at North Carolina State and was selected with the first overall pick by Houston in the 2006 NFL Draft, surprising many when they elected not to take collegiate star Reggie Bush out of the University of Southern California.

It looked like a terrible move out of the gate when Williams struggled mightily in his first year in the NFL. In the 16 games Williams played in '06, he only recorded 4.5 sacks with 47 tackles, 35 were solo.

In 2007 that all changed. Williams became a defensive force and had monster season recording a career-high 14 sacks with 59 tackles, forcing two fumbles and recovering one of them and returning it for a touchdown. His 14 sacks ranked third in the NFL that season, but he was snubbed of his first career Pro Bowl when he obviously deserved to play in Hawaii.

2008 might have been his best season overall when he forced a career-high four fumbles and totaled 12 sacks. Those numbers were good enough to have himself selected for his first career Pro Bowl and then again in 2009.

His 2010 season was hampered by a sports hernia, causing him to miss three games during the regular season, but his numbers were still impressive. Williams recorded 8.5 sacks in his limited action, giving him his fourth-straight season of nine sacks or more.

Johnson hasn't played since Week 4 & probably
will not play Sunday against the Ravens.

Despite Bush winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints two years ago, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins this offseason after the Saints didn't think his productivity matched his pay. On the other hand Williams has turned into one of the games best defensive players and has played all six seasons with Houston, but that might no longer be the case come this offseason.

Williams is a free agent at seasons end, putting himself and the Texans organization in a tough situation. You can bet they most certainly want him back, but at the right price.

For now Houston must continue on with what they have and set their sights on their first division title in the franchise's brief history.

They are currently tied for first-place in the AFC South with the 3-2 Tennessee Titans while the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) and Indianapolis Colts (0-5) are starting to plan for next season. They will need their Pro Bowled filled offense of quarterback Matt Schaub, running back Arian Foster, who is currently dealing with a hip issue and was injured to start the season, and Johnson to stay healthy and lead the way if this is the year they are to make the postseason.

Williams will have to sit watch, wondering if he has played his last game as a member of the Houston Texans.