On Saturday, the first dominoes in the 2012 NFL Playoffs fell in favor of the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints. The Texans defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-10, in its first playoff game ever. Former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator and current Texans head coach Gary Kubiak now has that first win out of the way and will look to continue on to the path of success his Broncos had during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, which resulted in Super Bowl wins.
The Saints had a bit of a fight with the Detroit Lions, but they pulled away in the second half for a 45-28 victory. Drew Brees continued his masterful dominance this season with 466 passing yards and three touchdown passes. The Lions, who had made their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season, will need to regroup and plan for next season.
Here is the latest NFL Playoffs printable bracket update. The Houston Texans will visit the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday for an 11:00 a.m. MT contest on CBS. The Saints will travel for a Saturday showdown with the San Francisco 49ers at 2:30 p.m. MT for a Fox broadcast.
On Sunday we will find out if the New England Patriots host the Denver Broncos or the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Green Bay Packers will learn earlier in the day if they will host the Atlanta Falcons or the New York Giants.
Head over to SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.