Bengals vs. Texans 2013, AFC Wild Card playoffs game preview

The Houston Texans limp into the postseason only once again face the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round, once again being played at Reliant Stadium.

Houston became the Super Bowl favorites over the course of the season, building a 11-1 record with strong defense and big-play offense, before stumbling down the stretch and missing out on a chance for home-field advantage and a bye in the postseason. The Texans lost 3-of-4 games to finish the season while scoring just 22 total points in the final two weeks.

The Texans will be once again facing the Bengals, a team that overcame a 3-5 record midway through the season to earn a spot in the postseason with a 10-6 record on the year. The Bengals steadily became one of the strongest teams in the NFL on the back of an aggressive and near-dominant pass defense, with the lone loss since Nov. 11 coming in the last minute against the Dallas Cowboys.

Houston defeated Cincinnati at home in the Wild Card round last season, 31-10, with T.J. Yates under center for the Texans due to Matt Schaub's injury. Schaub has just one touchdown pass in the last four games for Houston.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. CT with full coverage on NBC.