NFL Wild Card Playoff Preview, Schedule & Predictions: Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts [VOTE]
The Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts will clash for a chance to play in the AFC divisional round on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. EST.
These two teams don't have a historic rivalry with each other, but they did win a combined 21 games this season.
The Colts dominated the Bengals in Week 7, 27-0, but an embarrassing loss to the Dallas Cowboys two weeks ago leaves some doubt:
Cincinnati Bengals
It's now or never for the Bengals.
The Bengals have the longest playoff win drought in the NFL dating back to 1990. Their last postseason victory came against the Houston Oilers. Remember them? Head coach Marvin Lewis knows he is playing for his job on Sunday.
Regardless of the past, this is still a quality football team.
Rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been fantastic this season with 1,124 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. AJ Green is one of the best wide receivers in the league today, but he is listed as "doubtful" for Sunday's game because of a head and bicep injury. If Green is unable to play, Mohamed Sanu will be the Bengals No. 1 receiver.
Andy Dalton is a quality quarterback, but this season wasn't one of his best. Dalton threw just 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions this year. In Dalton's playoff career, he has just one touchdown and six interceptions. There's no doubt, Dalton has to play much better in big games.
The Bengals defense, which ranked 22nd overall, has a tough task ahead of them. In Week 7, the Colts accumulated 506 totals yards against Bengals. Despite not having an elite defensive unit, the Bengals do get turnovers. Only once this entire season did the Bengals not force a turnover, which came in Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts won the AFC South over the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. With an 11-5 record, the Colts finished the season as the No. 4 seed in the AFC.
It was another solid year for quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck tossed 40 touchdowns this season with a 96.5 passer rating. With T.Y. Hilton having 1,345 receiving yards, the Colts have the NFL's No. 3 ranked offense. The Colts don't have a very solid rushing attack, but they usually find a way to win.
Last season the Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the wild card round. With a victory against the Bengals, the Colts will play either the Denver Broncos or the New England Patriots in round two.
Although the Colts did finish 11-5, they did struggle against good teams. The Colts also have the benefit from playing in one of the worst divisions in the NFL, the AFC South. Still, the Colts did dominate the Bengals earlier in the season. There's a good chance the Colts will stack the box and force Dalton to make throws downfield that he is uncomfortable making.
Let's also not underestimate the value of kicker Adam Vinatieri, who kicked the game-winning field goals in two Super Bowls for the New England Patriots. The 42-year-old kicker is still one of, if not the best, clutch kickers in the game today.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts will face off on Sunday, Jan 4, at 1:05 p.m. EST on CBS. The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can view a live game stream here.
Predictions
It looks like the infamous Bengals playoff win drought will continue. Whether or not Green plays, it's obvious he's not 100 percent healthy, and Dalton just can't be trusted in the playoffs. Luck and the Colts offense will put up pints, but there's no guarantee the Bengals will respond. Having home field advantage will also help the Colts in this game.
Colts win 33-20
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