ICYMI: The Week on Front Row

The New England Patriots and the Houston Texans will meet for an AFC divisional playoff game Sunday, 4:30 P.M. ET at Gillette Stadium. Quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots are favored to win the game; the last time the teams met they defeated the Texans 42-14. But don’t despair, Texans fans.

In the video above, Numbers Never Lie hosts Michael Smith, Hugh Douglas and Jalen Rose explain why the Texans may have a chance to win.

ESPN’s divisional playoff coverage will feature two editions of Sunday NFL Countdown — a two-hour special Saturday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET, and the regular three-hour edition Sunday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m.

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row
• The latest “This Is SportsCenter” segment stars anchors Chris McKendry, Stuart Scott, the Boston College Eagle and the Temple Owl mascots. Watch the ad and see how it came about.

• Between wrapping up his College GameDay season and preparing for the Australian Open, Chris Fowler describes what’s it’s like to make such a quick transition “from sport to sport, role to role, winter to summer and North America to Down Under.”

• ESPN’s Talent Department recruits, manages, coaches and retains more than 1,000 commentators. A sampling of the hundreds of ESPN contract renewals and/or new signings of 2012 can be found here.

• You’ve seen him on Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn, but ESPN.com columnist J.A. Adande also works as an educator in USC’s journalism department. He shares more about his role as an educator in this Front & Center podcast.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week

• Jemele Hill for espnW: What I wish, and what’s reality, after Steubenville

• Terry Blount thinks the 2013 NASCAR season will be one to remember: Theme for ’13: Great expectations

• Center Court: Aussie Open Women’s Preview

• Enjoy an array of photos in this gallery from ESPN Images.