7 player connections to Cardinals in Bills-Texans wild-card game

See who used to play for the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals did not make it to the postseason but Arizona Cardinals fans can see a few former Cardinals players in the playoffs. The first playoff game of the weekend is between Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. Between the two teams, there are seven former Cardinals.

Let’s check out who they are.

Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander

Alexander spent two seasons with the Cardinals in 2013-2014. He became a pretty good pass rusher when he got to Buffalo. He had 50 tackles and two sacks in 2019.

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Can Texans DE J.J. Watt be like Tiger Woods versus the Bills?

Tiger Woods won the Masters in April after battling years of injuries. Can Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt have such an effort against the Buffalo Bills?

After battling injuries for years, Tiger Woods made a statement and won the 2019 Masters.

In the same vein, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has earned one All-Pro selection since herniating a disc in 2016 and fracturing his tibial plateau in 2017 ⁠— not quite the same level of play that earned him three NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors from 2012-15.

Like Woods, it looked like injuries were going to be a part of the back end of his career as he tore his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 in a 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders. Yet Watt returned from the surgery and rehabilitation in two months and is primed to help the Texans take on the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card.

“It was pretty incredible for [Woods] to win the Masters after obviously everything that he’s been through and how long his career has been,” Watt told reporters Wednesday. “I just remember it being unbelievable. That’s what it was. It was unbelievable and I think that it was crazy to watch, to see how excited everybody was for him.”

Houston sports fans, and those partial to the Texans’ and Watt’s cause, will similarly be excited if the 30-year-old is able to put an eight-game absence behind him and be a productive force for the defense en route to a win.

Much like golf has a “Tiger effect” when Woods is competing at a high level, the Texans are hoping to compete at a comparable high level with Watt providing the juice off the edge.

Before Watt’s injury, he was second on the Texans with 4.0 sacks. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus led the way with 5.5. However, the former 2011 first-round pick was able to produced 21 quarterback hits, the most in the NFL at the time of his injury. If Watt is able to affect Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen to that degree inside NRG Stadium, the the Texans have a decent shot to beat the Bills.

For today, every Dolphins fan is a Buffalo Bills fan

The Miami Dolphins should be rooting hard for the Buffalo Bills this afternoon against the Houston Texans.

This is going to be hard to admit. But trust us, it is for the best.

Go Bills!

Today, we are all Buffalo Bills fans — as the Bills search for their first playoff win since 1995, the Miami Dolphins are searching for as good of positioning in the 2020 NFL Draft as they can possibly find. And the pathway to a higher 1st-round pick involves the Buffalo Bills beating the Houston Texans this afternoon.

So screw it. Go Bills.

The Dolphins have their first two 1st-round picks locked in at the moment, they own the 5th and 18th picks in the 1st-round of the 2020 NFL Draft courtesy of their own pick and the trade of DB Minkah Fitzpatrick with the 8-8 Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s all on the Texans to lose now — the sooner the better. Here’s what is at stake for Miami this weekend. If the Texans lose, Miami’s third 1st-round pick will fall in-between 21st and 24th in the NFL Draft order. The actual slot depends on what other teams win or lose this weekend. If the Texans win? The Dolphins third 1st-round pick will be 25th at best and could fall even further.

Nobody wants that. So as hard as it may be to say out loud, say it with us:

Go. Bills!

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Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing the Texans’ AFC wild-card with Bills Wire

The Bills Wire helps preview the AFC wild-card matchup with the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans on Saturday at 3:35 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

The Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills meet up for an AFC wild-card encounter to kickoff wild-card weekend at 3:35 p.m. on ESPN/ABC. To get ready for the matchup, Nick Wojton, the managing editor for the Bills Wire, answered a few questions.

Texans Wire: For AFC East teams, are you guys just thankful to get into the tournament given the Patriots’ dominance?

bills-devin-singletary-give-texans-problems — (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Nick Wojton: I think this tune is slowly started to turn based on the Patriots’ struggles this season. That, and this is the second time in three seasons the Bills have made the playoffs. But with that in mind, the Bills are heading down to Houston in much more of a “winning” mindset as opposed to 2017. The Bills can only play the hand they’re dealt and after Week 15, they already locked up the wild-card. By comparison, Buffalo needed a Week 17 miracle by Andy Dalton to get in the dance in 2017. Much different feelings with some Patriots wishful thinking involved.

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Texans vs Bills: Point spread, over/under for AFC wild-card

The Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills meet up for the AFC wild-card at NRG Stadium. Odds-makers see the postseason game going a certain way.

The Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills square off Saturday at 3:35 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium in the AFC wild-card to end a postseason win drought of sorts. For the Texans, it is getting their first since Jan. 7, 2017, when they beat the Oakland Raiders in the AFC wild-card. For the Bills, it is getting their first win since Dec. 30, 1995, when they beat the Miami Dolphins in coach Marv Levy’s last playoff win with the franchise.

Both droughts, one longer, but both crushing to each respective fan base. Houston fans would hate to see quarterback Deshaun Watson fall 0-2 in the postseason, while Bills Mafia is hopeful quarterback Josh Allen can do what Jim Kelly did nearly 25 years ago.

How do odds-makers see the game going?

According to BetMGM, the Texans are favored by -2.5 over the Bills, which represent the second-slimmest odds of wild-card weekend. Only the Seattle Seahawks have slimmer odds at -1.5, but they are the road team facing the Philadelphia Eagles. The largest odds go to the New Orleans Saints at -7.5 at home over the Minnesota Vikings. The New England Patriots are favored -4.5 over the Tennessee Titans.

In terms of over/under, the 43.5 points are the lowest of the weekend. Highest goes to the Vikings-Saints matchup at 49.5. Second-highest goes to Philadelphia-Seattle at 45.5, and the Patriots and Titans are predicted to combine for 44.5.

For more information on the rest of the NFL and college football, please check out our sister site, the Sportsbook Wire.

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AFC Wild-card rooting guide: Let the games begin

The Baltimore Ravens will watch from afar as the 2019 wild-card round begins. Who should they be rooting for?

The Baltimore Ravens don’t have to play in the wild-card round as they earned the top seed in the AFC with their 14-2 record. They can watch from the comfort of their couches as the New England Patriots host the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills travel to Houston to face the Texans. However, don’t be fooled into thinking Baltimore won’t have rooting interest in this weekend’s games.

While the Ravens have faced four of the five other AFC playoff teams (the Titans are the exception), Baltimore has teams they’d much rather potentially face next week than others. Though it might be hard to pick out which teams the Ravens would have an easier time with thanks to the immense talent of each squad in the playoffs, we’ve made the call here for you.

Let’s take a look at the rooting guide for wild-card weekend for Baltimore.

Tennessee Titans (No. 6 seed) at New England Patriots (No. 3 seed)

Rooting for: Titans

New England will look to bounce back after an embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, dropping out of the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. They’ll turn their attention to Tennessee, who come into the playoffs on a bit of a hot streak, winning five of their last seven games.

Ever since Ryan Tannehill took over as the starting quarterback for Tennessee, they haven’t looked back. They made a late-season push led by Tannehill and league-leading rusher Derrick Henry to surge beyond the Pittsburgh Steelers for the final wild-card position. With the Patriots looking vulnerable and the Titans looking like a threat, some feel like it’s common sense to root for the Patriots. However, it isn’t that simple.

The Patriots have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady. They have one of the greatest coaches of all-time in Bill Belichick. It’s extremely hard to beat those guys once, let alone twice. And we’ve certainly seen New England look very beatable to close out a season only to wind up winning the Super Bowl a few weeks later.

While the Ravens wouldn’t have to play the Patriots until the AFC Championship Game, New England is a different animal in the playoffs and are a threat whenever they step on the field in January. Also, playing the only team they haven’t seen yet might be to Baltimore’s advantage, helping give them the element of surprise on their opponent like they have all season long.

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Elusive Bills RB Devin Singletary could give the Texans problems

Buffalo Bills rookie running back Devin Singeltary could give the Houston Texans defense problems. Bill O’Brien explains.

The Buffalo Bills have some juice in their backfield. To complement the ageless Frank Gore, rookie Devin Singletary has made his mark in his inaugural season as a slippery threat. The Houston Texans, ahead of their wild card matchup with Buffalo, are all too aware of that.

“He’s a very, very good, dynamic player,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said of Singletary on Friday. “He’s got good quickness, good speed. That one-two punch with him and Frank Gore, that’s a tough deal. That’s very challenging. Frank Gore is one of the best ever do it. Singletary’s come in here very explosive, so it’s a big challenge.”

Singletary, who measures in at 5-7, 203-pounds, evaded, juked and spun his way out of tackles en route to 775 yards and two touchdowns on 5.1 yards per attempt in 12 games. He tallied 29 receptions for 194 yards and touchdowns as well.

According to Pro Football Reference, Singletary recorded 2.4 yards after contact on average in 2019. He totaled 20 broken tackles on the season. The Florida Atlantic product makes up for his lack of size with his footwork, quickness and creativity as a runner, equating to a hard tackle.

“We’re going to have to do a good job of being disciplined up front, we’re going to have to tackle,” O’Brien said in conclusion. “We’ve got to tackle well in this game. I think tackling is going to be a big part of the game.”

The Bills’ offense isn’t a particularly lethal one. However, Singletary, as a rookie, will keep the Texans’ defense on its toes. Considering Houston recorded the 10th-most missed tackles in 2019 (117), the defensive front seven will have to step-up if they want to contain Singletary.

The Texans will host Singletary and the Bills at NRG Stadium on Saturday at 3:35 pm CT. The winner of the matchup goes to the next round of the playoffs.

Ex-Texans CB Kevin Johnson could start for the Bills in the AFC wild-card

Former Houston Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson could start the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in the NFL playoffs for a reunion game.

Saturday’s wild-card bout between the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills will be a reunion of sorts.

Former Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson will visit his former place of employment for the first time since Houston released him early in the 2019 offseason. The Texans made him a first-round selection out of Wake Forrest in 2015, but he never became the lock down cornerback they longed for.

The Bills picked up Johnson after his release by the Texans. Now entering the playoff matchup, there is a real possibility that he may start on Saturday in place of injured starter Levi Wallace, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 17.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence in Kevin,” Bills coach Sean McDermott told Buffalo media on Wednesday. “He’s had a good season. I think he’s continued to grow; he fits into our defense.”

Johnson missed 29 games with the Texans in four seasons. In Western New York, his troubling lack of availability didn’t follow. He played in 16 games and started one. According to Pro Football Reference, he did not allow a touchdown in the regular season after seeing 44 targets go his way. His 79.8 passer rating allowed in coverage is a massive improvement over the 139.6 allowed in 2018, when he gave up two touchdowns on five targets.

“Kevin’s playing really well,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said on Monday. “Playing really well, he’s healthy. He does a really job of transitioning, he does a good job of ball hawking, he’s playing on special teams. He’s doing a lot of things for Buffalo and doing a good job.”

McDermott says Johnson’s past with the Texans won’t factor into the game plan, no matter if he starts or not.

“No, I don’t think so,” McDermott said in response of if Johnson’s past with the Texans will help. “We just got to come out and play good solid defense, and they’re good offense. A lot of playmakers on their offense.”

Saturday’s reunion could either be a good thing or bad thing, depending on which side you root for.

Bills QB Josh Allen doesn’t have great memories versus Texans

The last time Josh Allen saw the Houston Texans, he got injured. The Buffalo Bills quarterback isn’t trying to spark those bad memories on Saturday.

Oct. 14, 2018, a rookie Josh Allen earned his fifth career start. The Buffalo Bills quarterback would win up throwing for 84 yards in the eventual loss to the Houston Texans. He did not finish the game, as he sustained a throwing-elbow injury that sidelined him for the next four outings.

On Saturday, Allen will return to NRG Stadium to face the Texans in a wild card matchup. The winner of the tilt goes on to the next round of the playoffs. For the 23-year-old quarterback, that means recollect not so pleasant memories, that he also learned from.

“Obviously going through that game there’s not great memories, no one likes getting hurt, but having the opportunity to have Derek [Anderson] and Matt [Barkley] come in, learning from those two guys, it was a blessing in disguise,” Allen told Buffalo media on Wednesday. “But having that experience of playing there, seeing a familiar stadium — the crowd’s going to be hyped up a little more being a playoff game, but kind of having a feel for that is experience we can take into that game.”

Allen ultimately eventually found himself back in the Bills’ lineup and started for the entirety of his second season. In year two, the Wyoming product led Buffalo to a 10-6 record, passing for 3,089 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions on a 58.8% completion rate. He recorded 510 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in the process.

Allen feels as if he’s a different player than what the Texans saw early in the 2018 season.

“Yeah, going back and looking at our notes from last year — being in the same system that they’ve had — just going back and watching that film, seeing how they may have played me, not saying that they’re going to do that again, but I feel like I’m a different player from last year and it’s a different offense, so we have to go out there and control what we can control and do us,” Allen said.

The Texans did a good job containing Allen before his injury in October of 2018. Only time will tell if they did that again on Saturday against a “different” version of him.

Jordan Phillips unhappy with no All-Pro selection

Buffalo Bills DT Jordan Phillips named All-Pro snub.

Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips felt like he was a Pro Bowl snub and things didn’t get any nicer when the NFL’s All-Pro teams were named on Friday.

The 27-year-old led the Bills with 9.5 sacks and added another 31 tackles. He also had a forced fumble.

Still, Phillips wasn’t named an All-Pro of any sort as cornerback Tre’Davious White was.

Following the announcement, Phillips wrote “0 (zero) respect” on his social media account via Twitter:

0 respect lol

— Jordan Phillips (@bigj9797) January 3, 2020

After not making the Pro Bowl earlier this season, Phillips went on social media and had a laugh about it, literally:

😂😂😂😂

— Jordan Phillips (@bigj9797) December 18, 2019

Instead of Phillips, the Rams’ Arron Donald and Steelers’ Cam Heyward took home the honors. The Falcons’ Grady Jarrett and the 49ers’ DeForest Buckner took second-team honors.

And if you’re wondering, should Phillips really be mad since he didn’t even make the Pro Bowl? Well, Justin Simmons is an example of that. The Broncos safety wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl, but he was named a second-team All-Pro on Friday.

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