- The Bengals defense saw a heavy dose of the run. Despite having the 10th ranked rushing defense in the NFL during the regular season, the Bengals had a lot of difficulty stopping the Texans rushing attack, especially in the second half when the Texans began to pound the ball down the Bengals throat. After showing some nerves early in the game by nearly losing two fumbles, Arian Foster settled down to rush for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns including an incredible 42 yard rushing touchdown to seal the victory in the fourth quarter for the Texans. The Texans 188 rushing yards were the second most that the Bengals defense allowed all season.
- As expected, the Texans didn't relay on T.J. Yates to throw the ball 30 times and carry them past the Bengals. The Texans used their running attack to set up the play action pass and vertical passing game. Yates's biggest play of the game was his 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson that extended the Texans lead to two touchdowns. Most importantly, Yates didn't throw an interception, as the Texans didn't turn the ball over all game.
- All-pro cornerback Johnathan Joseph got the best of his matchup with A.J. Green. Joseph, who spent five years in Cincinnati from 2006 to 2010, was getting picked apart by Green early on in the game. Green had 4 catches for 42 yards through the first quarter and change but for the rest of the game, Green had just one catch for 5 yards.
- Most people expected Andy Dalton to get the best of the rookie quarterback matchup with T.J. Yates but Dalton really struggled. Without getting any help from his running game, as Cedric Benson had his worst game of the season with just 14 rushing yards, Dalton was forced to throw the ball 42 times. This resulted in trouble for the Bengals, as in the Bengals 9 wins this season, Dalton threw the ball an average of just over 30 times, while in the Bengals 8 losses, Dalton threw the ball an average of just under 36 times. Dalton tied his career high with 3 interceptions.
- Dalton's interception with 52 seconds remaining in the first half was a game changer. With the ball on their own 19 yard line and less than a minute left in the 2nd quarter, J.J. Watt intercepted Dalton and returned the pick 29 yards for a touchdown. It was an incredible pick as few defensive ends in the league would have been able to catch the pass at the line of scrimmage instead of just knocking it down. The touchdown was a huge momentum shifter, as it gave the Texans and their fans incredible energy and confidence going into the second half. Despite being outgained 201 to 150 in the first half, the Texans led 17-10 going into the third quarter.
- The Texans took advantage of their opportunities and forced three Andy Dalton interceptions. When the Bengals had a chance to make a big play, they failed to do so. With the Texans up 24-17, Bengals safety Chris Crocker had a great chance to intercept a T.J. Yates pass that was intended for Owen Daniels over the middle. However, Crocker dropped the pick that could have likely been returned for a touchdown. Three plays later, Yates and Andre Johnson hooked up for a 40-yard touchdown that put the Texans up by two touchdowns.
The Texans will go on to play the Ravens in the AFC divisional round and the winner of the Steelers-Broncos game in Denver will play the Patriots.
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