Texans vs. Bengals: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Radio, Game Time and More

In a matchup that will likely go a long way towards determining AFC playoff positioning, the Houston Texans make the long trek to the Midwest to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Houston’s first game with T.J. Yates as quarterback went about as well as can be expected, with the defense shining and Yates doing just enough to keep them from becoming one-dimensional. Things will only get tougher, though, as the Bengals boast one of the most physical defenses in the league.

Cincinnati’s playoff hopes have taken a hit recently with three losses in four games. But the good news is that this team is still competing for a postseason spot, which no one predicted before the season. At 7-5, they have a chance to clinch their fifth non-losing season since 2003 with a win.

Where: Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio

When: Sunday, Dec. 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET

Watch: CBS

Listen: SR 610-AM, 100.3 KILT FM, 1010 AM, Sirius Channel 86 (Houston); 700 WLW, ESPN 1530, 102.7 FM (Cincinnati)

Betting Line: Cincinnati (-3)

What’s At Stake?

The Texans have some wiggle room in the AFC South with a two-game lead over Tennessee, but they are still jockeying for position and one loss could be crippling. They are tied with Baltimore, Pittsburgh and New England with a 9-3 record.

If they win out, they would be the No. 1 seed. But with such a volatile quarterback situation, the odds of that happening are slim. Barring a collapse, which is entirely possible considering what we have seen from them before, they will go to the playoffs.

The Bengals need to get going in a hurry if they want to stay in the playoff race. There is a logjam of teams fighting for those two wild-card spots, and there are currently five teams that have the same 7-5 record they do.

This is a critical game for their postseason hopes and they can’t afford to waste any opportunity that they have left.

Texans Injury Report

Out: QB Matt Schaub (Foot), QB Matt Leinart (Shoulder), P Brett Hartmann (Knee)

Questionable: WR Andre Johnson (Hamstring)

Bengals Injury Report

Out: DL Pat Sims (Ankle)

Questionable: T Andre Smith (Ankle), DL Carlos Dunlap (Hamstring)

Fantasy Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em, Sleeper

Start ‘Em: Texans RB Arian Foster

Foster has proven that his breakout 2010 season was not a fluke. He has run for 916 yards and eight touchdowns in just 10 games played, and he is putting up good numbers against good defenses.

He has run for over 100 yards against the Titans, Steelers, Jaguars, Browns and Falcons. With Matt Schaub out, he is going to be a bigger focal point for this offense down the stretch.

The Bengals run defense has been stout this season—sixth in the NFL—but, as mentioned before, Foster has had success against good run-stopping defenses. He will be fine.

Sit ‘Em: Bengals RB Cedric Benson

Aside from a big game against Cleveland two weeks ago, Benson has been trending downward since early October. He has not run for more than 78 yards in seven of his last eight games, and his average yards per carry has been over the magical 4.0 line just once in that span.

The Texans have one of the most dominant defenses in the league this season, and have been successful stopping the run—they rank fourth in the league in that category.

Benson’s struggles combined with Houston’s dominance makes him a must-sit candidate this week.

Sleeper: Texans QB T.J. Yates

While I don’t think that Yates is going to have a Tom Brady- or Aaron Rodgers-type of game, he can be a solid fantasy producer for owners that are desperate to get points from the position.

Yates threw just 25 passes last week and completed only 12 of them, but he had over 7.5 yards per attempt, and if he can up his completion percentage into the 55-60 range, he should have at least 200 yards and even a touchdown pass or two.

Yates is a deep sleeper pick this week, but the Texans have the talent surrounding him to make him look better than he really is.

What They Are Saying

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak talked about star wide receiver Andre Johnson's status for this week's game on Wednesday, saying that he is not going to be practicing much this week and will be evaluated day-to-day. 

Via Houston Texans Twitter Page: 

Bengals Player To Watch: WR A.J. Green

As good as Andy Dalton has been for the Bengals this season, he owes a debt of gratitude to A.J. Green, who has been as good as advertised in his rookie year.

The Bengals need big plays to keep the Texans defense honest, and Green is the Bengals’ big-play threat. He has the size, speed and physicality to challenge this secondary and break a big play or two.

If he is unable to do anything in this game, which is entirely possible, the Bengals are in big trouble.

Texans Player To Watch: QB T.J. Yates

There are going to be players for the Texans that perform better than Yates, obviously, but he is the most important player for this team as we head down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Yates was able to play an efficient game against the Falcons last week, and that was exactly what he needed to do, but in order for this team to win a playoff game, he has to make some plays on his own.

Don’t expect Yates to turn into Matt Schaub or anything, but he has to show that he can be a quarterback like Alex Smith is this year or Matt Cassel was in 2010.

Key Matchup: QB T.J. Yates vs. Bengals Secondary

The Texans can’t afford to become a one-dimensional team, or else they are no better than the Kansas City Chiefs were last year. That was a good team that made the playoffs, but they got smoked against the Ravens because they couldn’t throw the ball.

Yates does not have to be Matt Schaub 2.0 or anything like that, but he has to be more than just a quarterback that is there to hand the ball off.

The Bengals will be a good test for Yates. They are a top-10 defense against the pass, so he will have to make plays happen because they aren’t going to give him anything.

The Texans can win the game without Yates being great, but it would help the team’s postseason chances if he showed some improvement.

Prediction

Both teams have good defenses, but Houston’s quarterback situation worries me.

Bengals 20, Texans 17