Anyway, that’s it from me. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to check back in tomorrow for our Five Things We Learned review of all the action from Wild Card weekend.
For Cincinnati, the same old questions will arise. Is Andy Dalton simply not good enough to win a playoff game? To put this defeat all on his shoulders seems unfair, when he was missing two such important players as Green and Gresham. But certainly this was a game that gave the lie to Troy Brown’s claims about Dalton being Luck’s equal. Final stat lines:
Luck: 31/44, 376 yards, one touchdown
Dalton, 18/35, 155 yards one fumble
The Colts’ next game will be in Denver, where all eyes will be on the duel between Luck and Peyton Manning, the man he replaced in Indianapolis.
The Colts beat the Bengals 26-10, and advance to the Divisional round!
That’s it! A comfortable enough win for the Colts, in the end, even if they could not match the 27-0 scoreline they enjoyed against these opponents during the regular season. Regardless, this was a one-sided game.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-26 Indianapolis Colts 0:59, 4th quarter
Indy cannot quite run the clock out, so the Bengals get the ball back at their 27 with less than a minute left to play.
Two minute warning: Bengals 10-26 Colts
Third-and-five coming up for Indianapolis at midfield. The Bengals are out of time-outs.
Fumble! Bengals 10-26 Colts 2:49, 4th quarter
The Bengals finally begin to move the ball against Indy’s prevent defense, but it all feels too slow. And then, on Cincy’s first play in Colts territory all half, Dalton fumbles, losing the ball as he is sacked by Jerrell Freeman. Montori Hughes muscles the loose ball away from an offensive lineman. This one’s over.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-26 Indianapolis Colts 4:25, 4th quarter
The Bengals finally get the ball back, but while this is still only a two-score game, they have done nothing yet in this half to suggest that they can turn things around. Dalton is set for his fourth defeat in as many playoff games, a sequence that will leave many Cincy fans torn. To have returned to the postseason with such consistency represents a big step forward from their previous recent past, but at what point do you have to start aiming higher? At what point, in other words, do owners consider moving on from head coach Marvin Lewis?
Marvin Lewis supporters say "but look how bad we were before him" Afraid to be great out of fear of going backward.
— John Kincade (@JohnKincade) January 4, 2015
Cincinnati Bengals 10-26 Indianapolis Colts 6:22, 4th quarter
Tipton is in for Herron, and he is doing a fine job of helping the Colts to chew up the clock. Second and two coming up for Indy at their own 45. The Bengals’ long wait for a playoff win appears destined to continue.
And the curse of Boomer Esiason continues...indefinitely. @Paolo_Bandini
— David Lengel (@LengelDavid) January 4, 2015
Cincinnati Bengals 10-26 Indianapolis Colts 9:37, 4th quarter
Death by a thousand punts here for Cincinnati. Dalton manages one first down, hooking up with Sanu for 11 yards, but that’s as far as he can go. Twice in the next three plays he winds up sliding to avoid a hit - once for a three-yard loss and once for a three-yard gain. In-between, he misses another pass to Sanu. Looking at Indy’s coverage, it’s hard to blame him. Nothing is opening up downfield.
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Field goal! Bengals 10-26 Colts 11:38, 4th quarter
The Colts get bogged down in Cincinnati territory, and so Adam Vinatieri comes on to make his third field goal of the day - this one from 53 yards. What a ridiculously reliable player he is.
Adam Vinatieri now up to 227 postseason points -- 52 more than any player in NFL history.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2015
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Cincinnati Bengals 10-23 Indianapolis Colts 12:53, 4th quarter
Oh boy - another fumble from Herron, but this time the ball spills directly into the path of offensive lineman Khaled Holmes, who covers it promptly. That might be the last we see of Herron today. Cannot keep a turnover risk out there on the field when you’re trying to close out a game.
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Cincinnati Bengals 10-23 Indianapolis Colts 14:59, 4th quarter
Another holding penalty on Cincinnati means that the Colts will start on the Bengals’ 47.
End of third quarter: Bengals 10-23 Colts
Fair to say that the Bengals have missed AJ Green today. Dalton is trying to make something happen downfield, but Brandon Tate is no equivalent deep threat, and the quarterback’s latest heave sails harmlessly over his head on first down. Two plays later, Dalton is sacked by Ricky Jean-Francois. The quarter ends with Indy awaiting the punt.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-23 Indianapolis Colts 1:25, 3rd quarter
Pacman Jones makes a bad decision to take the ball out of the end zone on the kick return, and the Bengals will start on their own 13.
Herron, by the way, is now up to 85 receiving yards on 10 catches for Indianapolis, along with another 54 on nine carries. Which leads us to another pretty neat stat from ESPN right here:
Dan Herron has more yards from scrimmage today than any other Colts running back has had in a game in the last 3 seasons
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 4, 2015
Field goal! Bengals 10-23 Colts 1:31, 3rd quarter
A big stand for the Bengals, who sniff out Luck’s attempted shovel pass to Herron on third-and-goal, and force the Colts to settle for a field goal. Somehow, this is still a two-score game. But Cincy need to start doing something on offense soon, because so far in this half they have achieved very little indeed.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-20 Indianapolis Colts 3:08, 3rd quarter
Coby Fleener has a touchdown reception chalked off due to a block in the back penalty against Moncrief, but the Colts are still knocking on the door, with first-and-two at the Bengals’ eight-yard line. Herron has been back to the fore on this drive, with a pair of carries and one reception for a combined 22 yards.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-20 Indianapolis Colts 6:18, 3rd quarter
A holding penalty wipes out a 30-yard gain by Bernard on a swing pass, and instead the Bengals go three-and-out again. If the Colts score a touchdown on this next drive, this game could be over. They will start just seven yards shy of midfield after the punt.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-20 Indianapolis Colts 7:48, 3rd quarter
And that, if anyone was still wondering, is why Brown was silly to say that these two quarterbacks are equal. Very few players can consistently make plays like the one that Luck just did. Dalton ain’t one of them.
Andrew Luck throws TD pass under duress; he had 7 TD passes when under duress in the regular season, tied for most in the NFL
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 4, 2015
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TOUCHDOWN! Bengals 10-20 Colts 7:48, 3rd quarter
What. A. Throw. The Bengals have struggled to generate a consistent pass rush this afternoon, as they have all season (they finished last in the league with 20 sacks) but for once Reggie Nelson did come free on a blitz, forcing Luck to abandon the pocket. Sprinting forward between a gap that appeared in his offensive line, most quarterbacks would have been looking for a quick check-down. Instead, Luck, with two defenders in his face and another hanging off his leg, launched a 36-yard dart to Donte Moncrief in the corner of the end zone. Stunning. Absolutely stunning.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-13 Indianapolis Colts 9:54, 3rd quarter
The Colts have done a fantastic job of shutting down the Bengals’ running game, and without it, things really aren’t working for Cincinnati. Hill takes a pair of carries for five yards on this drive, but his team have moved the ball just eight yards on the ground (on seven attempts) since their touchdown drive. Dalton throws incomplete on third down, and Huber punts to the Indianapolis 39.
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Cincinnati Bengals 10-13 Indianapolis Colts 11:24, 3rd quarter
Herron does return, and picks up a tidy nine-yard reception on third down, but a pair of 10-yard penalties put the Colts in a hole that they are unable to dig themselves out of. McAfee’s punt bounces out the back of the end zone for a touchback, but a flag comes down for unnecessary roughness against the Bengals, dragging them back to their 10-yard line.
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Cincinnati Bengals 10-13 Indianapolis Colts 13:57, 3rd quarter
In at running back now for the Colts: Zurlon Tipton. Is Herron being punished for that fumble? Trent Richardson seems to be out of the picture altogether after suffering with an illness this week.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-13 Indianapolis Colts 13:57, 3rd quarter
If the Bengals spent time plotting their next drive during the interval, well, it didn’t work. A quick three-and-out, with two incompletions from Dalton, and Huber trots on to punt the ball away. A holding penalty on the return means Indy will take over on their own 25.
Cincinnati Bengals 10-13 Indianapolis Colts 14:55, 3rd quarter
Off we go again, with Cincinnati getting the ball to start the second half. Pacman Jones takes the ball out to the Bengals’ 23-yard line.
And in an update aimed squarely at Troy Brown, who isn’t reading, I can also tell you that, at the half, Andrew Luck is very much winning his personal duel with Andy Dalton:
Luck: 16/27 for 219 yards
Dalton: 11/16 for 91 yards
What’s on the line here in the second half? Well, a place in the divisional round of the playoffs, obviously. But for Andy Dalton, also one million dollars.
End of 2nd quarter: Bengals 10-13 Colts
Luck kneels on the ball after the kickoff, and that’s it for the first half. The Colts lead, but the Bengals should be pretty pleased with the situation they find themselves in. This game looked to be slipping away from them until Dennard ripped the ball out of Herron’s hands. Now it is right back in the balance.
Crazy long-range field goal! Bengals 10-13 Colts 0:10, 2nd quarter
Woah. Another pass to Bernard goes nowhere on third down, but the Bengals send Mike Nugent on anyway to attempt a 57-yard kick and he nails it - the ball bouncing through off the left-hand upright. Just one yard shy of the playoff record.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-13 Indianapolis Colts 0:19, 2nd quarter
A defensive holding penalty and a big third-down completion to Ryan Hewitt take the Bengals across midfield, but it’s third-and-six now at the Indy 40 after the Colts gobbled up a pair of short passes to Giovani Bernard. Time-out Indianapolis.
Fumble! Bengals 7-13 Colts 1:49, 2nd quarter
It looked like the perfect play for the Colts, Luck dumping the ball off to Herron in the flats, and the running back scooting away down the sideline for the best part of 20 yards. But Darqueze Dennard ripped the ball out of Herron’s hand as he was going to ground, and Reggie Nelson recovers at the Cincinnati 41. A huge, huge turnover. The Colts were headed for a two-score lead, but instead the Bengals now have a chance to trim the deficit or even get their noses in front before the break.
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Two minute warning: Bengals 7-13 Colts
And no sooner have I typed that, of course, than Luck is sacked by Geno Atkins for an eight-yard loss.
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Cincinnati Bengals 7-13 Indianapolis Colts 2:19, 2nd quarter
Play by play, this Colts offense seems to be growing in confidence. Their offensive line is winning the battle up front, and Luck has all the time in the world to sit and wait for Hilton to come open over the middle of the field. The result: a 25-yard completion that takes Indianapolis out to the Cincy 44-yard line.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-13 Indianapolis Colts 5:07, 2nd quarter
The Bengals have struggled to move the ball since scoring, and this drive is no exception, Dalton picking up one first down on a swing pass to Bernard, but his team going no further. Huber lands a fine punt out of bounds at the Indianapolis nine-yard line.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-13 Indianapolis Colts 8:02, 2nd quarter
Well, apparently it’s just two drops so far from Hilton today. But that’s still more than he had at home in the entire regular season.
T.Y. Hilton had 1 drop at home during the regular season. He has 2 today. (via @ESPNStatsInfo)
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 4, 2015
Overall, the Colts had more dropped passes in the regular season (40) than any other team in the league. Only the Chiefs dropped a greater percentage of their passes (6.4%, to Indy’s 6.2%).
Here ends the stats binge.
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Field goal! Bengals 7-13 Colts 8:34, 2nd quarter
Another dropped pass from Hilton - who has had a few already tonight - means the Colts have to settle for another Adam Vinatieri field goal.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-10 Indianapolis Colts 9:22, 2nd quarter
A token nod to the running game, Herron takes the ball over left guard for a couple of yards on first down, and then Luck launches a 45-yard bomb into the arms of Hakeem Nicks.
Who needs balanced playcalling?
Cincinnati Bengals 7-10 Indianapolis Colts 10:51, 2nd quarter
A quick three-and-out for Cincy, although there was room in there for another Rex Burkhead reception - his third of the game already. Nice return from Cribbs takes the ball up to the Colts’ 36.
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Cincinnati Bengals 7-10 Indianapolis Colts 12:41, 2nd quarter
That was the 52nd playoff field goal of Vinatieri’s career. Nobody else has more than 39.
Field goal! Bengals 7-10 Colts 12:41, 2nd quarter
Twice on this drive, the Colts have attempted to use a hard count to draw the Bengals offside on third down. Twice, they have wound up with a false start penalty instead.
The first time they got away with it, Luck hooking up with Hilton for a first down regardless. But this time Dre Kirkpatrick tips away a pass intended for Reggie Wayne in the end zone. The Colts settle for a 38-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal instead.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-7 Indianapolis Colts 14:08, 2nd quarter
Inevitably, Luck responds to my call for more running plays by completing his next two passes to Hilton for a combined 47 yards. Colts into the red zone.
End of 1st quarter: Bengals 7-7 Colts
The quarter ends with Indianapolis facing third-and-six at their own 38-yard line. It’s been a stuttering start from Luck, who has completed just six of 13 passes so far, but he’s been let down by his receivers on a number of plays, too.
Most troubling, for me, is the fact that he’s currently on course to throw the ball more than 50 times in the game. Indianapolis ran the ball extremely effectively on their first drive, so why not stick with it? This drive might already be over if Luck himself had not scrambled for an eighteen-yard gain on third-and-three.
Cincinnati Bengals 7-7 Indianapolis Colts 1:28, 1st quarter
Hill got the score, but Rex Burkhead is the star of the show for Cincy so far.
Rex Burkhead has more yardage in the 1st quarter today (53) than he's had in any game of his 9-game @nfl career.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 4, 2015
Rex rankings: 1. T- 2. Harrison 3. Ryan 4. Banner 5. Burkhead 50. Grossman
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI) January 4, 2015
TOUCHDOWN! Bengals 7-7 Colts 1:31, 1st quarter
Looks like we’ve got a game, folks. Hill strolls into the end zone from one yard out at the end of a drive in which the Colts defense offered minimal resistance. Four plays of 10 yards or more tells its own story.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-7 Indianapolis Colts 2:23, 1st quarter
AJ who? Rex Burkhead might be listed as a running back on the depth chart, but he is doing a pretty passable impression of a wide receiver in this first quarter, taking a short pass from Dalton and turning it into a 26-yard gain. The Bengals are down to the five...
Cincinnati Bengals 0-7 Indianapolis Colts 4:22, 1st quarter
Has to be said, Dalton’s looking pretty sharp so far. he had a shocking game when these teams met in week seven, completing just 18 of 38 attempts for an average of 3.3 yards per attempt in a 27-0 defeat, but a pair of 10-yard darts to Mohamed Sanu have the Bengals quickly up near midfield again.
“As a massive Bengals fan I will go for Luck to throw multiple picks and Dalton doing an Alex Smith impression and ‘managing’ the game for a close Cincy win,” writes Dylan C by email.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-7 Indianapolis Colts 6:04, 1st quarter
Weird. You would have thought that the Colts, after enjoying quite so much success with Herron on the last drive, might continue to run the ball down Cincinnati’s throats. Instead, we get three passes from Luck, none of them aimed at a running back. TY Hilton fails to reel in the last of them by the sideline, and the Colts go three-and-out. But a fantastic punt by Pat McAfee means the Bengals will take over all the way back on their own 25.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-7 Indianapolis Colts 6:50, 1st quarter
The Bengals run out of steam just shy of field goal range, Kevin Huber punting away from the Colts’ 39-yard line. The ball is downed at the eight. Meanwhile, here’s some correspondence from Twitter.
@Paolo_Bandini @guardian_sport Andrew > Andy. Colts by double figures, maybe heralding the end of the Lewis regime in Cincy
— EnglishNick (@PlymouthNick) January 4, 2015
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Cincinnati Bengals 0-7 Indianapolis Colts 9:22, 1st quarter
Anything you can do, we can do ... about the same? The Bengals meet fire with fire, riding their running game as they move swiftly into Indianapolis territory. Rather than Hill or Bernard, it was the somewhat unlikely figure of Rex Burkhead who got things going with a 23-yard carry on Cincy’s first play.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-7 Indianapolis Colts 11:05, 1st quarter
Insert your own Trent Richardson gag here.
TOUCHDOWN! Bengals 0-7 colts 11:05, 1st quarter
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Dan Herron show. The running back barrels into the end zone on a two-yard run at the end of a drive that was All About Him. Three carries for 32 yards, two receptions for 26. Not bad for an opening series.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-0 Indianapolis Colts 13:38, 1st quarter
They average more than 28 points per game, and yet the Colts were the only team in the NFL without an opening drive touchdown in the regular season. Will they turn that stat around now in the playoffs? They’re off to a good start, a couple of quick passes from Luck to running back Dan Herron taking them swiftly across midfield.
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Kickoff
Away we go! Colts get the ball first, Josh Cribbs returning the opening kickoff out of his end zone to the 29.
Right then, kickoff imminent. Who ya got? And what say you to Brown’s claims of parity between Luck and Dalton? Let me know on email at paolo.bandini@theguardian.com or on Twitter @Paolo_Bandini
As if Dalton did not have a big enough task removing that monkey from his back, injuries have also conspired against him. The Bengals arrive in Indianapolis without their best wide receiver, AJ Green, and tight end Jermaine Gresham. Between them, the pair combined for more than 1,500 receiving yards this season.
Without them, Cincy will be forced to rely more heavily than ever on their tandem of tailbacks, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. The former player has been extraordinary in his, perhaps benefitting from the lighter workload that he enjoyed at the start of the season. Fresher than most at this time of year, he was the league’s leading rusher over the final month of the regular season. But it may take more than just an effective day running the football to keep up with a Colts offense averaging more than 400 yards per game.
Do not listen to Troy Brown.
The former Patriots wide receiver made a bold claim this week, arguing that Andy Dalton is just as good a quarterback as Andrew Luck. He asserted that the Colts quarterback was good only against “bad football teams”. He claimed that the stats, too, bore him out.
He did not specify which ones.
The numbers show that on average Luck throws for more yards per season than Dalton (4,319 to 3,696), more touchdowns (28.6 to 24.8) and fewer interceptions (14.3 to 16.5). He is more productive when he decides to tuck the ball in and run, too - averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, compared to his rival’s 3.0.
And yet, Brown was right about one thing: Luck, like Dalton, has struggled in his career to date to win the games that matter. He is 1-2 in the playoffs, and won just four out of nine games against teams that finished with winning records in 2014.
Dalton’s record is even worse, the Bengals quarterback having lost all three of his postseason games to date. He has managed just a single touchdown in those games, against six interceptions.
Will this be the year when he finally gets the monkey off his back, vindicating Bengals brass for handing him a new $115m contract in the offseason? Or should Brown take a little closer look at the numbers before voicing such opinions in future?
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