<<

AFC NOTES FOR USE AS DESIRED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1/5/16 CONTACT: JON ZIMMER http://twitter.com/nfl345

KANSAS CITY AT HOUSTON, AT CINCINNATI ON SATURDAY IN AFC WILD CARD PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016 –AFC WEST (11-5) AT –AFC SOUTH (9-7)

SERIES CHIEFS TEXANS LEADER 4-3 STREAKS Past 2 COACHES VS. OPP. : 5-0 Bill O’Brien: 0-1 COACHES PLAYOFF RECORD Andy Reid: 10-10 Bill O’Brien: 0-0 VS. COMMON OPP. KC: 1-1 (Cin 0-1; Buf 1-0) Hou: 1-1 (Cin 1-0; Buf 0-1) PLAYOFF RECORD 8-15 2-2 LAST WEEK W 23-17 vs. Raiders W 30-6 vs. Jaguars LAST GAME 9/13/15: Chiefs 27 at Texans 20. Kansas City QB throws for 243 yards & 3 TDs (118.6 ). Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has 6 catches for 106 yards & 2 TDs. LAST GAME AT SITE 9/13/15 LAST PLAYOFF --- REFEREE Ron Torbert BROADCAST ESPN/ABC (4:35 PM ET): , , (field reporter). Westwood One: John Sadak, Mark Malone, Scott Kaplan (field reporter). SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (KC), 82 (Hou). XM: 88 (WW1), 226 (KC), 82 (Hou).

STAT LEADERS PASSING A. Smith: 307-470-3486-20-7-95.4 Hoyer: 224-369-2606-19-7-91.4 RUSHING West: 160-634-4.0-4 Blue: 183-698-3.8-2 RECEIVING Maclin: 87-1088-12.5-8 Hopkins: 111 (3L)-1521 (3L)-13.7-11 OFFENSE 331.2 347.8 TAKE/GIVE +14 (1C) +5 DEFENSE 329.3 310.2 (3L) SACKS Houston: 7.5 Watt: 17.5 (1L) INTs Peters (R): 8 (T1L) Hal: 4 PR Thomas: 7.8 Mumphery (R): 7.8 KR Davis: 25.1 (3C) Mumphery (R): 24.1 PUNTING Colquitt: 44.4 Lechler: 47.3 KICKING Santos: 129 (2C) (39/41 PAT; 30/37 FG) Novak: 83 (29/31 PAT; 18/21 FG)

NOTES TEAMS MEET for 1st time in postseason play.

CHIEFS: Aim for 1st road playoff win since 1/16/94 vs. Houston Oilers in Divisional round…Have won 10 consecutive games, longest streak in club history & longest active streak in NFL. 1st team in NFL history to win 10 consecutive games & have 5-game losing streak in same season…In 3 career playoff games, QB ALEX SMITH has passed for 873 yards with 9 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 108.6 rating. Aims for 4th playoff game in row with 97+ rating. Has 3-0 record vs. Hou as starter, passing for 642 yards with 4 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 88.1 rating. Since 2011, ranks 2nd in NFL in INT pct. (1.4 pct.). Rushed for 498 yards in 2015, 2nd-most among AFC QBs & most ever by Chiefs QB in season…In past 4 on road, RB is averaging 88.5 scrimmage yards per game (196 rush, 158 receiving, 354 total) & has 3 total TDs (2 rush, 1 receiving)…WR JEREMY MACLIN led team with career-high 87 catches (most ever by Chiefs WR) for 1,088 yards & 8 TDs. In 2 career postseason games (with Eagles), has 10 catches for 219 yards, including 76-yard TD. In 2 career meetings at Houston, has 11 catches for 210 yards & 2 TDs. Has 6 TDs in past 7 overall, including 25-yarder last week vs. Raiders. Aims for 4th in row with TD. TE TRAVIS KELCE had career-best 72 catches in 2015, joining TONY GONZALEZ as only Chiefs TEs with 70+ receptions in single season. Since 2014, ranks 3rd in AFC & 4th in NFL amongst TEs with 1,737 receiving yards…KC led AFC & ranked 2nd in NFL with 22 INTs. Rookie CB tied for 1st in NFL with 8 INTs (most among rookies) & 2 INT-TDs. Led NFL with club-record 280 INT-return yards. 1st rookie to tie for league lead in INTs since 2009 (JAIRUS BYRD). Has 4 INTs in past 5. In past 21, LB JUSTIN HOUSTON has 22.5 sacks, 4 FF & 2 INTs. Since 2012, ranks 2nd in NFL with 50.5 sacks (J.J. WATT). Had sack in only career playoff game (1/4/14 WC vs. Ind). LB TAMBA HALI posted 6.5 sacks in 2015 & has 86 career, eclipsing NEIL SMITH (85.5) for 2nd-most in franchise history. Has 2.5 sacks & 2 FF in past 2 meetings. Club had 5 players selected to 2016 (TE Kelce, LBs Hali & Houston, S ERIC BERRY, CB Peters).

TEXANS: Won AFC South for 3rd time in club history & 1st time since 2012. Are 2-0 at home in postseason…QB BRIAN HOYER will make postseason debut. Passed for career-high 19 TDs in 11 games in 2015. In past 10, Hoyer has passed for 2,370 yards with 18 TDs vs. 6 INTs for 93.3 rating. Has 2+ TD passes in 7 of past 10. Has won 4 of past 6 starts…RB ALFRED BLUE led team with career-high 698 rush yards. Rushed for 254 yards in past 3 (84.7 per game), incl. 2 100- yard games. Last week, RB JONATHAN GRIMES became 3rd player in Texans history with rush TD & TD catch in same game, joining RBs ARIAN FOSTER & STEVE SLATON…WR DE ANDRE HOPKINS led team with 111 catches for 1,521 yards & club-record 11 TD receptions. Joined ANDRE JOHNSON as only Texans with 100 catches & 1,500 receiving yards in single season. In 2015, became 3rd-youngest player in NFL history to reach 200 career catches. In 2 career meetings, has 12 catches for 174 yards & 3 TDs, including 9 receptions for 98 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting. WR NATE WASHINGTON posted 47 catches for 658 yards & 4 TDs in 1st season with Texans, including 6 catches for 105 yards vs. KC on Kickoff Weekend…Texans ranked 2nd in AFC in total defense & pass defense (210.4 yards per game). Only team in to have 2 players with 12+ sacks in 2015 – DE J.J. WATT (17.5) & LB WHITNEY MERCILUS (12). Watt led NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2015 & is 1 of 7 players to lead league twice since 1982. In past 21, has 28.5 sacks, 5 FF, 2 FR, safety, 10 PDs & TD catch. Since entering NFL 2011, leads league with 74.5 sacks. Last week, joined HOFer REGGIE WHITE (3) as only players with 15+ sacks in 3 of 1st 5 NFL seasons. Has 3 sacks & FF in 2 career meetings. Mercilus has 10 sacks in past 10, including 3.5 last week vs. Jaguars. LB BRIAN CUSHING led team with 110 tackles. S led team with career-best 4 INTs, including 31-yard TD in Week 6 vs. Jaguars. In past 3 at home, LB has 2.5 sacks…Club had 2 players selected to (WR Hopkins & DE Watt). SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016 –AFC NORTH (10-6) AT –AFC NORTH (12-4)

SERIES STEELERS BENGALS LEADER 56-35 STREAKS 4 of past 5 COACHES VS. OPP. : 13-5 Marvin Lewis: 8-18 COACHES PLAYOFF RECORD Mike Tomlin: 5-4 Marvin Lewis: 0-6 VS. COMMON OPP. Pit: 8-4 (Bal 0-2; Cle 2-0; Oak 1-0; SD 1-0; KC 0-1; Den 1-0; Ari 1-0; StL 1-0; SF 1-0; Sea 0-1) Cin: 10-2 (Bal 2-0; Cle 2-0; Oak 1-0; SD 1-0; KC 1-0; Den 0-1; Ari 0-1; StL 1-0; SF 1- 0; Sea 1-0) PLAYOFF RECORD 33-22 5-13 LAST WEEK W 28-12 at Browns W 24-16 vs. Ravens LAST GAME 12/13/15: Steelers 33 at Bengals 20. Pittsburgh RB DeAngelo Williams rushes for 76 yards & 2 TDs. Steelers CB William Gay adds 23-yard INT-TD. LAST GAME AT SITE 12/13/15 LAST PLAYOFF 1/8/06: Steelers 31 at Bengals 17. Pittsburgh QB throws for 208 yards & 3 TDs (148.7 passer rating). Steelers WR Cedrick Wilson has 104 rec. yards & TD. REFEREE John Parry BROADCAST CBS (8:15 PM ET): Jim Nantz, Phill Simms, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter). Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, , Laura Okmin (field reporter). SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (Pit), 82 (Cin). XM: 88 (WW1), 226 (Pit), 82 (Cin).

STAT LEADERS PASSING Roethlisberger: 319-469-3938-21-16-94.5 Dalton: 255-386-3250-25-7-106.3 (1C) OR McCarron: 79-119-854-6-2-97.1 RUSHING D. Williams: 200-907-4.5-11 (T1L) J. Hill: 223-794-3.6-11 (T1L) RECEIVING Brown: 136 (T1L)-1834 (1C)-13.5-10 Green: 86-1297-15.1-10 OFFENSE 395.4 (1C) 358.0 TAKE/GIVE +2 +11 (3L) DEFENSE 363.1 340.8 SACKS Heyward: 7 Dunlap: 13.5 (3C) INTs Mitchell: 3 Nelson: 8 (T1L) PR Brown: 9.6 Tate: 6.3 KR Wheaton: 21.0 Tate: 22.9 PUNTING Berry: 42.6 Huber: 45.8 KICKING Boswell: 113 (26/27 PAT; 29/32 FG) Nugent: 117 (48/49 PAT; 23/28 FG)

NOTES TEAMS MEET for 2nd time in postseason. Steelers defeated Bengals 31-17 in Wild Card Playoff on 1/8/06. Pit. leads all- time regular-season series 56-35 & clubs split 2015 season series.

STEELERS: Have 33-22 (.600) all-time postseason record, 2nd all-time in total playoff wins & 4th all-time in win pct. Need 1 playoff win to tie Dallas (34) for most all-time. In 2005, became 1st No. 6 seed in NFL history to win SB (XL vs. Seahawks). Set NFL record for 2-point conversions in single season, converting 8 of 11 attempts in 2015…QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER led NFL with 328.2 passing yards per game in 2015 (3,938 yards in 12 games), 3rd-highest single- season average in NFL history. Has 10-5 career postseason record. Has 11-2 record at Cincinnati (including playoffs) & has passed for 3,010 yards with 19 TDs vs. 9 INTs for 98.1 rating. In 1/8/06 playoff meeting, completed 14 of 19 (73.7 percent) for 208 yards with 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 148.7 passer rating…RB DE ANGELO WILLIAMS tied for 1st in NFL with 11 rush TDs & ranked 3rd amongst AFC RBs with 1,274 scrimmage yards in 2015. In past 8, is averaging 112.1 scrimmage yards per game & has 8 rush TDs…WR had career-best 136 catches, tied for 2nd-most in single season in NFL history, & ranked 2nd in the NFL with franchise-record 1,834 receiving yards. Led NFL with 129 catches in 2014 & his 265 receptions in past 2 seasons are most of any 2-year span in history. 1 of 2 in NFL history with back-to-back 120-catch seasons (HOFer ). Led team with 10 TD catches & joined HINES WARD (2002- 03) as only Steelers with consecutive 10-TD catch seasons. WR MARTAVIS BRYANT has 16 TDs in 22 career games (including playoffs). Had 5 catches for 61 yards & TD in only career playoff game (1/3/15 Wild Card vs. Ravens). TE has 46 career postseason catches & needs 6 to surpass (51) for 5th-most by TE in playoff history…In 13 career playoff games, LB JAMES HARRISON has 6.5 sacks & 100-yard INT-TD (SB XLIII vs. Az.), tied for 2nd-longest in playoff history. LB led team with 119 tackles. Since 2007, is only NFL player with 30+ sacks (33) & 10+ INTs (10). S MIKE MITCHELL led team with 3 INTs & had career-best 9 PDs…Club had 3 players selected to 2016 Pro Bowl (QB Roethlisberger, WR Brown, G DAVID DE CASTRO).

BENGALS: Club has reached postseason for 7th time under MARVIN LEWIS (2005, 2009, 2011-2015) & makes franchise-record 5th consecutive playoff appearance. Bengals aim for 1st postseason win since 1/6/91 against Houston Oilers (Wild Card). Tied franchise-record for regular-season wins (12)…QB has 50-26-1 (.656) record, highest win pct. of any Bengals QB (min. 20 starts). Has 24 career road wins, most of any starting QB in era in 1st 5 NFL seasons. In past 4, QB AJ MC CARRON has completed 76 of 115 (66.1 pct.) for 832 yards with 6 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 97.4 rating, incl. 280 yards & 2 TDs vs. Steelers in Week 14…RB tied for 1st in NFL with 11 rush TDs & led team with 794 rush yards. Has 6 rush TDs in past 7, including 96 yards & 1 TD last week vs. Ravens. Has 20 career rush TDs, most ever by Bengal in 1st 2 NFL seasons. RB GIOVANI BERNARD averages 85 scrimmage yards in 2 career postseason games…Since entering NFL in 2011, WR A.J. GREEN has 6,171 receiving yards, 5th-most of any player in 1st 5 seasons. Led team with 1,297 receiving yards & joined CHAD JOHNSON (6, 2002- 07) as only Bengals with at least 5 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. 1 of 2 players in NFL history with 5+ consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin career (, 6). TE TYLER EIFERT led NFL TEs with 13 TD catches, most ever by Bengals TE in season…1 of 2 NFL teams to have 2 players with 11+ sacks in 2015 – DE CARLOS DUNLAP (13.5) & DT (11). Dunlap’s 13.5 sacks surpassed EDDIE EDWARDS’ single-season franchise record (13 in 1983). Atkins has 1.5 sacks in 3 career postseason games. S tied for 1st in NFL with career-high 8 INTs. 1st Bengal to tie for 1st in NFL since DELTHA O’NEAL in 2005. LB VINCENT REY led team with 95 tackles…Club had 5 players selected to 2016 Pro Bowl (WR Green, TE Eifert, T ANDREW WHITWORTH, DT Atkins, S Nelson).

###