The Cincinnati Bengals visit the Indianapolis Colts Sunday to begin what both teams hope is the start of a deep postseason run. The Colts (11-5) won the AFC South title for the second straight season, marking the third consecutive 10-plus win season and playoff berth for quarterback Andrew Luck. On the other hand, the Bengals (10-5-1) missed out on the AFC North crown after falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. Now Cincinnati will look to avoid its fourth straight season of coming up short in the first round of the playoffs.
NFL playoffs 2015: How to watch Bengals vs. Colts online
Can the Bengals finally break through and win a playoff game?
Indianapolis should be the more rested team, coming off a 27-10 win over the lowly Tennessee Titans in its regular-season finale. With stars like Luck and T.Y. Hilton taking the second half off against the Titans, the Colts' backups got their chance to shine. Indianapolis already hosted Cincinnati once this season in Week 7, and the Colts' defense suffocated the Bengals in a 27-0 win that really wasn't even that close. The home team outgained the Bengals 506-135 in total yards while Luck threw for 344 yards and two scores.
In that matchup, Cincinnati didn't have Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green. He was out with a toe injury, but he could be out again this week as he's dealing with a concussion. The Bengals will likely stagnate offensively again if Green doesn't play because he stretches the field and opens up the offense for everyone to have more success.
Cincinnati will not only be out for revenge in this one, but the team is also searching for its first playoff win since 1991. Under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals are 0-5 in the postseason, with all five losses coming in the Wild Card round. In the last three years, they've been outscored 77-33 in three playoff games. Starting quarterback Andy Dalton has noticeably struggled in those games, completing just 70 of 123 passes (56.9 percent) for 718 yards (239.3 yards/game) with one touchdown pass, six interceptions and three fumbles.
As for the Colts, they've gone 1-2 since drafting Luck, including last year's miraculous comeback in the Wild Card round. Indianapolis rallied from a 28-point deficit to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs before getting blown out by the Patriots in the Divisional round.
How to watch
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
The Colts are favored at home by 3.5 points, according to OddsShark. The over/under for the game is 48.5 points.
Further reading
For more on the Bengals, check out Cincy Jungle. For additional coverage of the Colts, head on over to Stampede Blue.
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