The Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals provided a playoff appetizer this afternoon as the Houston Texans appeared in and won their first ever playoff game. Early on it looked like we would have a tight battle, but the Texans pulled away behind a strong Arian Foster performance and a fairly dominant defensive performance.
Now we get to the important matchup for 49ers fans. The Saints and Lions square off on NBC at 5:00pm PT. If the Saints win, they will travel to Candlestick Park next week. If the Saints lose, the 49ers will host the winner of tomorrow's Giants-Falcons wild card contest.
The Saints are heavy favorites in this game and it is fitting given how dominant they have been at home. The Saints have some question marks on the road, but in the Superdome, their offense is playing at a ridiculous level. Upsets do happen, but I figure the Lions will have another meltdown at some point tonight. The Lions are incredibly talented, but they do seem to take after their coach when it comes to maintaining their composure. I think we could have a close game early, but a few stupid penalties will cost the Lions and they'll fall too far behind at some point. We'll see.
If you do not have access to a TV, you can watch the game online at NBCSports.com.