Bengals vs. Colts: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
It’s not very often that both teams in an NFL playoff game can play the “nobody believes in us card,” but the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals could both lay claim to the underdog mentality before their Wild Card Round showdown.
After all, the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1991, while the Colts lost a lot of believers in Week 16 when they lost 42-7 to the Dallas Cowboys.
The good news for both clubs is that the playoffs represent a clean slate with an opportunity to advance closer to a Super Bowl. Here is a look at the essential information for Sunday’s clash.
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Bengals vs. Colts
Date: Sunday, Jan. 4
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Colts (-3) (via Odds Shark, as of Thursday at 11 a.m. ET)
Injury Report (via CBS Sports, as of Thursday at 11 a.m. ET)
| 12/28/14 | G | Clint Boling | ILLNESS | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | LB | Chris Carter | KNEE | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | CB | Darqueze Dennard | SHIN | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | DE | Wallace Gilberry | HAMSTRING | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | WR | A.J. Green | BICEPS | PROBABLE | Left Week 17 vs. Pittsburgh |
| 12/28/14 | CB | Adam Jones | ILLNESS | QUESTIONABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | LB | Emmanuel Lamur | HAMSTRING | QUESTIONABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | CB | Chris Lewis-Harris | ILLNESS | QUESTIONABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | S | Reggie Nelson | ILLNESS | QUESTIONABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | CB | Terence Newman | ILLNESS | QUESTIONABLE | Missed Week 17 at Pittsburgh |
| 12/28/14 | K | Mike Nugent | ILLNESS | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | WR | James Wright | KNEE | QUESTIONABLE | Missed Week 17 at Pittsburgh |
| 12/28/14 | TE | Dwayne Allen | KNEE | OUT | Missed Week 17 at Tennessee |
| 12/28/14 | LB | Jerrell Freeman | HAMSTRING | QUESTIONABLE | Missed Week 17 at Tennessee |
| 12/28/14 | WR | T.Y. Hilton | HAMSTRING | QUESTIONABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | DE | Cory Redding | KNEE | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | G | Joe Reitz | ANKLE | QUESTIONABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | G | Hugh Thornton | KNEE | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | LB | Erik Walden | KNEE | PROBABLE | |
| 12/28/14 | WR | Reggie Wayne | GROIN | Left Week 17 at Tennessee | |
| 12/28/14 | LB | Bjoern Werner | SHOULDER | OUT | Missed Week 17 at Tennessee |
Preview/Prediction
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck discussed the matchup with the Bengals, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com): "We have a lot of respect for what they do. They do a lot and they do it well. ... These guys do everything and do it with confidence and competence. It's a fun team to play."
Considering Indianapolis handed Cincinnati a 27-0 loss back on Oct. 19, it is really no wonder that Luck thinks the Bengals are a fun team to play.
The Colts defense controlled that contest and only allowed 135 measly yards and 32 rushing yards. The Bengals had to punt a borderline-ridiculous 11 times, and it actually inspired some changes in the Cincinnati offense.
The Bengals moved rookie running back Jeremy Hill into the starting role instead of Giovani Bernard, and the result was seven wins in their final 10 games. Hill’s presence will be even more important against the Colts considering wide receiver A.J. Green and his 1,041 receiving yards suffered a concussion in Week 17 and may not be able to go.
Hill helped the Bengals finish sixth in the league in rushing yards per game thanks to his 1,124 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Bernard is certainly still involved in the game plan, but Hill against a vulnerable Colts front seven that was 18th in the league against the run is the key for the Cincinnati offense.
A steady dose of Hill will open up the passing game for Dalton and give him more time off of play-action plays.
Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star noted that the Bengals offense will be quite different than the one the Colts saw in the regular season because of Hill, while Chris Trapasso of NFL.com pointed out why the stronger Hill has been more effective than Bernard:
On the other side of the ball, the Colts finished first in the NFL in passing offense thanks to Luck’s league-leading 40 touchdowns, 4,761 yards and litany of weapons. T.Y. Hilton made fantasy owners happy all season with 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns, Reggie Wayne hauled in 779 yards and two touchdowns and tight end Coby Fleener has played the role of security blanket with eight touchdown catches and 774 receiving yards.
That offense could be a serious problem for a Bengals defense that was 20th in the league against the pass this season. However, the Bengals did tally 20 interceptions, so it will be up to Luck to protect the ball in this game.
Cincinnati also struggled to stop the run (20th in the league), but the Colts are much more dangerous through the air. Trent Richardson and Dan Herron will at least try to keep the Bengals front seven honest, but this matchup will come down to Luck against the Cincinnati secondary.
That is unfortunate news for the Bengals considering how many weapons the Colts bring to the table and how vulnerable the Cincinnati secondary was for most of the season. Luck already torched the Bengals once this year for 344 yards in the first meeting, and he will put up similar numbers in the playoffs.
Look for the Colts to defend home-field advantage with an impressive overall performance.
Prediction: Colts 31, Bengals 23
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