As usual for Week 4 of the preseason, the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts won't exactly be treating Thursday night like a regular season matchup. Key starters will be watching from the sidelines in baseball caps, while second- and third-stringers play their hearts out for one last chance to make the team.
Bengals vs. Colts 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Bengals and the Colts finish the preseason Thursday in Indianapolis.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
That doesn't make for exciting viewing for fans who want to see stars like A.J. Green and Andrew Luck, but it provides some of the most intense action you will see in the preseason. For the Bengals, AJ McCarron will get plenty of playing time to build on his strong performance in Week 3's win over Chicago. Getting a rare chance to play with the starting offense after Andy Dalton left with a sore neck, McCarron went 12 of 17 for 149 yards and a touchdown against the Bears.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Monday that, in terms of roster decisions, the performances this week will serve as a confirmation of what he and his staff have seen in practices and the first three preseason games.
The Colts might have to consider giving some snaps to their starting offensive line, which has struggled in both run blocking and protecting Luck. However, given T.Y. Hilton’s concussion in Week 3, there’s no way that Chuck Pagano is going to put any of his skill players out there, so having the line blocking for backups might not be worth it.
Indianapolis has TE Coby Fleener (ankle) and WR Anthony Dorsett (knee) back from injury after both missed Saturday's win over the Rams, but Pagano isn't likely to send them into the gladiator pit that is a fourth-week preseason game.
How to Watch
When: Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV: FOX 59 (Indianapolis) and CBS 12 (Cincinnati)
Commentators: Don Fischer, Rick Venturi (Indianapolis) and Brad Johansen, Anthony Munoz (Cincinnati)
Online: NFL Game Pass
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