Saturday, January 5, 2013

What I'm Watching on Wildcard Weekend

I'm back from a much longer hiatus than I intended, and I'm proud to say that I have made my long awaited return as a graduate of UCSB. I got too bogged down by schoolwork (and the holidays), but there's no way I'm complaining about the school that gave me the greatest 3+ years of my life. Perhaps now you'll even notice the improved writing of a UCSB graduate as I go over some quick thoughts about this weekend's slate of playoff games.

Just kidding; I've always been this good.

HOUSTON over Cincinnati
What I'm watching: How the Texans' secondary assign their coverage. It's well noted how much of an A.J. Green fan I am, so it's no surprise that I believe he could win this game by himself against the likes of Jonathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson. They tend to each stick to their side of the field, so expect a safety to give help to whichever side Green lines up on a play to play basis. Joseph was a shutdown corner in his first year in Houston, but injuries have slowed him down this season. Jackson has been merely solid as a former first round pick out of Alabama while Brandon Harris, a 2011 second round pick, might be over matched in the slot against the slippery Andrew Hawkins. Thus, the soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year, J.J. Watt, will have to consistently generate pressure in order to help his team win this key matchup.

Prediction: Texans 24, Bengals 20
Houston's secondary will need help from Watt like last year's playoff game.