SportsDirect Inc. staff
Jan 5, 2013
Texans 19, Bengals 13: Arian Foster ran for 140 yards and a touchdown and host Houston used a suffocating defense to eliminate Cincinnati from the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Matt Schaub threw for 262 yards and Shayne Graham kicked four field goals to help the third-seeded Texans (13-4) snap a two-game losing streak and advance to a divisional-round matchup at New England next Sunday. The Patriots crushed visiting Houston 42-14 on Dec. 10.
The Texans held the Bengals without an offensive touchdown and had a 420-198 edge in total yards while controlling the ball for 38 minutes, 49 seconds. Tight end Owen Daniels had a season-high nine receptions for 91 yards and Foster added eight catches for 34 yards.
Cincinnati's only touchdown came on a 21-yard interception return by Leon Hall in the second quarter that left the Bengals trailing at halftime 9-7 despite only three yards passing by Andy Dalton.
Foster's 1-yard plunge early in the third quarter made it 16-7 and Graham's fourth field goal - following an interception by Johnathan Joseph - put Houston ahead 19-10 with 14:17 to play. Josh Brown booted a 47-yarder with 9:03 left to cut the deficit to 19-13, but Dalton overthrew A.J. Green in the end zone on the Bengals' final possession.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dalton was 14-for-30 for 127 yards and an interception for Cincinnati, which lost to the Texans 31-10 in the wild-card round last season. ... Foster became the first player in history to rush for 100 yards in each of his first three playoff games. ... Hall's interception for the TD was Cincinnati's second in the postseason and first since Neal Craig accomplished the feat in 1973.