Bengals vs. Colts: Complete Week 7 Preview for Indianapolis

After four straight wins, including a win on Thursday Night Football last week against the Houston Texans, the Indianapolis Colts are back on top of the AFC South, and they'll be looking to add some breathing room with another win on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Last week's win over the Texans helped the Colts take the division lead for the first time this season, and there's a good chance they keep the lead for the rest of the year. The rest of the division is struggling, and with some easier upcoming games, it should be easy for the Colts to secure a playoff spot by the end of the season.

Even with some injuries on the other team, the Colts aren't guaranteed a win on Sunday. Head coach Chuck Pagano realizes that the Bengals are arguably one of the better teams in the AFC, and he wasn't afraid to speak highly of them during the week.

"It seems like we play them twice a year, every year," Pagano told The Sports Network via Fox News. "Really good football team. Well-coached, a lot of athletes. They've built a big, long, athletic roster on both sides of the football. They have playmakers all over the place."

If the Colts can pull out a win on Sunday, then they'll have won five straight and be looking to keep up that streak with upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. Still, the Colts need to take it one game at a time and focus on what's in front of them.

Having said that, here's the complete Week 7 preview for the Colts as they prepare to take on the Bengals at home.

Colts Week 6 Recap

Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Colts played the first game of Week 6, and at first, it looked like they were going to provide yet another blowout on Thursday Night Football. 

Offensively, they had no problem getting off to a hot start, taking a 24-0 lead heading into the second quarter. However, the Texans were able to get a couple of touchdowns before halftime to trim the lead to 27-14 heading into the locker room.

The Texans did all they could to keep trying to come back, but the Indianapolis offense played quite well, at least through the air, and held off Houston. Andrew Luck had a busy game, going 25-of-44 through the air with 370 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. 

T.Y. Hilton was the player of the game, constantly making big plays deep down the field. By the end, he finished with 223 yards and a touchdown on just nine receptions, putting him just short of the franchise record for yards in the game.

On defense, the Colts weren't perfect, but they made stops when they needed to. The pass rush continued to show up for yet another week, sacking Ryan Fitzpatrick five times.

Thanks to some early offense, the Colts got another win, but they'll need to stay consistent for all four quarters against the Bengals this week.

News and Notes

USA TODAY Sports

Colts Leading NFL in Offensive Production

In his third season, it looks like Andrew Luck is finally hitting his stride, and that's been a big reason for the offense's success this season. Still, for all of the criticism he's received, offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton deserves some credit as well.

Through the first six weeks, the Colts lead the NFL with 440 yards and 31.5 points per game while also ranking first with an average time of possession of 36 minutes, 28 seconds.

"Our players are executing at a high level, and this is what we envisioned from the standpoint of having the personnel that allows us to do a lot of different things,” Hamilton told ESPN.com's Mike Wells. “It puts pressure on the defense to decide who they want to try and take away, and we feel like we present a conflict to our opponents because we have so many guys on the field at any given time who can make plays for us.” 

The passing game has been a big reason for the success, but Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw have provided a more reliable running game than originally expected. If they can continue to take some pressure off Luck, then the third-year quarterback shouldn't have a problem putting up big numbers.

A.J. Green Not Expected to Play

Wide receiver A.J. Green is arguably Cincinnati's best player, but fortunately for the Colts, it looks like Andy Dalton won't have his favorite weapon on Sunday.

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted Marvin Lewis' comments about Green not practicing this week, with the head coach making it pretty clear that the star wide receiver won't be playing.

This season hasn't gone according to plan so far for Green, who has caught just 17 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He was unable to play in last week's tie against the Carolina Panthers, and the Bengals offense has missed him.

Without Green, players like Mohamed Sanu and Brandon Tate will have to step up, but the Colts secondary should have less trouble with them than Cincinnati's star receiver.

Colts Considering Trades Before Deadline

This year's Colts team looks to have a legitimate chance at making a run in the playoffs, and the front office is apparently open to working on a trade with another team if the price is right.

Stephen Holder from The Indianapolis Star reported that the Colts have had discussions about potentially trading for some young talent, with owner Jim Irsay saying:

"

Obviously we're taking it a game at a time, but this week Ryan and Chuck and I met and talked about anything we can do before the trade deadline (or) past the trade deadline in terms of having some young, ascending players who might be able to help us...and do whatever we can to get that edge. Obviously health is going to play a big role in how we move forward. If we can stay relatively healthy, I think this team really has something special. That's what I'm focused on. It's exciting to see.

"

Some fans may be hesitant about a possible trade, especially considering last year's deal near the deadline for Richardson, which gave the Cleveland Browns Indy's first-round selection. It's not clear exactly who the Colts are keeping an eye on, but as long as they don't give up another first-rounder, fans probably won't be too upset with who they get.

Injury Report

USA TODAY Sports

Player	Position	Injury Status
Mike Adams	S	Probable
Darius Butler	CB	Out
Gosder Cherilus	OT	Probable
Arthur Jones	DT	Questionable
Jack Mewhort	OG	Probable
Hugh Thornton	OG	Probable

Note: All injury statuses from Friday's practice via Colts.com.

After Indianapolis did not have either starting offensive guard last week, it's good to see that both Hugh Thornton and Jack Mewhort will likely play on Sunday. Joe Reitz held his own, but Lance Louis was a big question mark, and the Colts already have enough questions on the interior of their offensive line.

Arthur Jones is finally questionable after not playing since Week 2, but that's still no guarantee he plays. The Colts could use his services to try and stop the Bengals running game, but they'd be smart not to rush him back, as he'll be a vital piece of the defense for the rest of the season.

We saw last week that the Texans were able to convert some passes to receivers out of the slot, and that could be a problem again against the Bengals with Darius Butler out once again. Even with Vontae Davis and Greg Toler healthy, Butler has been a key piece to the secondary as a very solid nickel corner, so Josh Gordy will have to try and hold his own again.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

USA TODAY Sports

Bjoern Werner vs. Andrew Whitworth

Sophomore outside linebacker Bjoern Werner has finally started to show up lately, racking up three sacks in the past two games. He's been a key part of the pass rush with Robert Mathis out for the season, but he might be facing his toughest test of the season up to this point.

Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth has done a good job of protecting Andy Dalton's blind side this year, and that's been one of the reasons for his success. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Whitworth has yet to allow a sack while letting opponents hurry Dalton just twice.

Over the past few weeks, Werner has gone against some pretty mediocre left tackles, but this will be a completely different test for the former first-round pick.

Colts Interior Offensive Line vs. Geno Atkins

The Texans were able to disrupt Luck last week thanks to some great interior pressure from MVP candidate J.J. Watt. For the Bengals, they'll need Geno Atkins to be that disruptive force if they're going to hope to slow down the Indianapolis offense.

Atkins hasn't been the same player he was last year before tearing his ACL, but that's to be expected. Still, he's been a solid player when it comes to rushing the passer, hurrying opposing quarterbacks 11 times this year, according to PFF.

The interior offensive line will have Thornton and Mewhort back, but Jonotthan Harrison could be the one the Bengals try to put pressure on. Keep an eye on all three interior linemen on Sunday, as they'll be key to keeping Luck upright.

Jerrell Freeman vs. Giovani Bernard

The inside linebackers for the Colts have struggled throughout the season covering tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Jerrell Freeman's return last week helped a bit, but they'll have a completely new challenge this week against sophomore running back Giovani Bernard.

This season, Bernard has put up 384 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, but he's also added 178 yards in the passing game on 18 receptions. The Colts have given up 358 yards on 28 receptions to running backs already this season, and that number should continue to go up this week.

Freeman isn't the fastest inside linebacker, so he'll be at a disadvantage to start, but it's important that he always keeps an eye out for Bernard in open space, as the running back can break off huge plays on a consistent basis.

Colts' X-Factor of the Week: Dwayne Allen

When the Colts get inside the red zone, they haven't been shy about looking for the tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Dwayne Allen has been one of the major beneficiaries, and he has a chance to have his best game of the season this week.

So far, Allen has caught 18 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns. The Bengals have trouble with opposing tight ends, giving up 40 receptions to them with 473 yards and three touchdowns through just five games. 

Every time the Colts get in the red zone, watch for Luck to be looking Allen's way, as he presents a major mismatch at 6'3'' and 265 pounds down the field.

Prediction

USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals headed into their bye week with a 3-0 record, but a blowout loss against the New England Patriots and a tie to the Panthers now have them at 3-1-1. They'd like to get back on track with a win, but that's going to be hard without Green on the outside.

Defensively, the Bengals haven't been terrible, giving up 22.6 points and 398.8 yards per game. However, they have yet to play an offense as explosive as the Colts, and considering they've only gotten eight sacks so far this season, it's going to be hard for them to put pressure on Luck.

The key in this game for the Colts will be to establish the run with Richardson and Bradshaw to open up the field on play action. The Bengals have been one of the worst in the league against the run, allowing 141.4 yards per game on the ground on 4.8 yards per carry. Bradshaw will be especially fun to watch due to his violent running style, as he could pick up some big yardage.

On the other side of the ball, it's hard to see Dalton beating the Indianapolis secondary, even with Butler out for Sunday's game. Vontae Davis has held opposing quarterbacks to just a 34.3 passer rating when throwing his way, the second-lowest among eligible cornerbacks, according to PFF. 

The Bengals should keep it relatively close, but with how the Colts are playing, it's hard to not see Indianapolis taking a win at home.

Prediction: Colts 27, Bengals 17