Cincinnati Bengals confirm quarterback Andy Dalton playing Texans game on weekend – NFL News
The Cincinnati Bengals have confirmed availability of their rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton, for their game against playoff newbies', the Houston Texans, on Saturday, January 07, 2011.
Dalton’s participation for the weekend game has been doubtful due to his illness only a day earlier after the player missed the team's mid-week practice on Wednesday.
The player had the flu and did not feel fit to join the practice squad but has become available now, obviously boosting the Bengals’ spirits.
He showed-up for practice on Thursday, despite his team members saying that he apparently looked ragged.
"I saw him this morning", cornerback, Leon Hall, said. "I gave him a hard time about how he looked. He didn't look himself, to say the least".
It was confirmed that the player underwent treatment at a hospital on Wednesday to pace up his recovery which helped him to improve and practice the very next day.
"It was a tough day yesterday, but I feel a lot better than I did", Dalton said.
The player was quick to catch up on the missed workout on Wednesday, and got updated about the session.
"I can't try to do too much", Dalton said. "I've watched the film and I know what's going on. Obviously I would have liked to have practiced yesterday, but it didn't happen".
Bengals' coach, Marvin Lewis, meanwhile, has backed the rookie for their next game, saying he was ready and fit to go for the weekend tie.
"He's fine," Lewis said. "He'll go through the video. He's already been through it (from Wednesday). It's not a big deal."
Lewis’s line-up is playing a game against the American Football Conference (AFC)-South champions, the Houston Texans, in the playoff season for the first time and aiming for a win.
It was back in 1990 that the Bengals won their last time against the Houston side, but they were the Houston Oilers then, not the Texans.
Further, it is for the first time in their franchise history, that the Texans have won a division title and made it to the postseason of the league.
So, it is an important game for them as well since they look to topple the Bengals in the must win situation.
However, like the Bengals, the Texans are missing out on their key players, especially their quarterbacks, Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, due to foot and collarbone injuries, respectively.
The side is on a three-game losing streak and going into the playoffs, they face a daunting task of pulling off a victory against the Bengals, which would be their first ever in a postseason.
Both teams have played each other in the regular season and quarterback, Andy Dalton, sees it as an advantage to face the side they know beforehand, which would include watching the recaps and studying them to find out any potential weaknesses.
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