There are plenty of matchups that comprise any playoff game, but for the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills on Saturday in the AFC wild-card, there may be none bigger than receiver DeAndre Hopkins versus cornerback Tre’Davious White.
The All-Pro wideout will be going against arguably the best cornerback this season as the former 2017 first-round pick from LSU broke up 17 passes and grabbed six interceptions.
Coach Bill O’Brien has tremendous respect for White.
“Tre’Davious White is a great player,” O’Brien said. “He’s one of the better corners in the league and we’ve got what we feel like is the best receiver in the league, so it’s a great matchup.”
Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games with the Texans this season, earning his fourth career Pro Bowl selection along the way. For Hopkins, he will be debuting in his fifth career playoff game while White will make his second postseason appearance.
“That’s what playoff football is all about, when great players are going against each other, both guys are competing at a high level,” said O’Brien. “It’ll be a big part of the game.”
The only time Hopkins faced White was on Oct. 14, 2018, in a 20-13 win for Houston over Buffalo. Hopkins caught five passes for 63 yards and a touchdown while White collected two tackles, including a tackle for loss, and was flagged for two defensive holding penalties.