TIME: 1:05 p.m. Sunday
PLACE: Lucas Oil Stadium (FieldTurf)
LOCAL RADIO: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst) led by "triple cast," on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7) on the 25-station Bengals radio network.
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One Radio Network Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (analyst), Laura Okmin (sideline reporter)
TV: CBS broadcast team of Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter) on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 7 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 27 in Lexington, KY.
INJURIES
*CIN *
OUT:
WR James Wright (knee)
DOUBTFUL:
Starting WR A.J. Green (concussion) went limited Thursday but didn't get cleared for full go Friday, was kept out of practice, and is still in the NFL concussion protocol. He'll meet with a doctor Saturday morning to see if he can get cleared in time for Sunday.
QUESTIONABLE:
Starting TE Jermaine Gresham (back) didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday and went limited Friday. Backup RB Cedric Peerman (concussion) went limited Thursday and Friday.
IND
* * OUT: Starting RG Hugh Thornton (shoulder) joins starting RT Gordon Cherilus, now on injured reserve.
QUESTIONABLE: Backup RB Trent Richardson (illness) didn't practice Friday.
PROBABLE: Starting WR Reggie Wayne (groin) went limited Wednesday, full Thursday and didn't work Friday. Starters TE Dwayne Allen (knee), SLB Erik Walden (knee), WLL LB Jerrell Freeman (hamstring), Rush LB Bjoern Werner (shoulder) all went full the last couple of days.
THE SERIES
11-5 Colts lead 10-5-1 Bengals, 18-10, 10-6 in Indianapolis
NOTEWORTHY
»» The Bengals' first post-season game in history came on the road against the Colts in Baltimore's cold and windy Memorial Stadium on Dec. 26, 1970. Colts legend Johnny Unitas completed just six of 17 passes, but one was a 45-yard TD pass to Roy Jefferson and another was a 53-yard TD pass to Eddie Hinton in Baltimore's 17-0 victory in an AFC divisional game. The Colts went on to beat Dallas in the fifth Super Bowl, 16-13.
»» The Bengals and Colts are two of the four teams that have made the post-season five times in the last six years. They join the Patriots and Packers
»» If the Bengals beat the Colts and the Steelers beat the Ravens, Cincinnati travels to New England next week. If the Bengals and Ravens win, the Bengals go to Denver.
»» Sunday's running games will be dominated by recent Bengals draft picks. Colts RB Daniel Herron, a sixth-round pick of the Bengals in 2012, has taken the bulk of the load the last month and is averaging 4.5 yards on 78 carries. The Bengals' two leading rushers, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, are second-round picks from 2014 and 2013, respectively.
»» Bengals DBs coach Vance Joseph played CB for the Colts in 1996.
»» Colts LBs coach Jeff FitzGerald coached the Bengals LBs from 2008-11.
»» Colts HC Chuck Pagano has been a familiar Bengals opponent in the Marvin Lewis Era. From 2008-2010 he coached the Ravens DBs and in 2011 he was their defensive coordinator. He also coached the Cleveland DBs from 2001-2004.
»» The Bengals have played two of their last three post-season games indoors, both losses to the Texans in 2011 and 2012.
»» Bengals CB Adam Jones, who leads the NFL in kick returns, faces Colts P Pat McAfee, the NFL leader in touchbacks.
»» Hill finished the season as the NFL's leading rookie rusher with 1,124 yards
»» Colts QB Andrew Luck finished the season leading the NFL with 40 TD passes
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 15th in scoring, 15th in offense (6th rushing, T-21st passing); 12th in scoring defense, 22nd in defense (20th rushing, 20th passing), T-16th in turnover margin at even.
IND: 6th in scoring, 3rd in offense (22nd rushing, 1st n passing); 19th in scoring defense, (11th in defense (18th rushing, 12th passing), T-22nd in turnover margin at mminus-5.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 100-95-2 in 12th season, 2-5 vs. Colts.
IND: Chuck Pagano 34-17 in third season, 1-1 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
WEATHER
Roof expected to be closed
NUMBERS GAME
43-53 - Bengals record on road under head coach Marvin Lewis
8 - Colts QB Andrew Luck's interceptions in his first three post-season games
6 - Bengals QB Andy Dalton's interceptions in his first three post-season games
40 - Luck's NFL-best TD passes this season
18 - TD passes allowed by Bengals, tied for third fewest in NFL
16 - Interceptions thrown by Luck this season, third most in NFL
20 - Interceptions by Bengals this season, third most in NFL
1,345 - Colts WR T.Y Hilton's receiving yards this season
1,443 - Combined yards for Bengals WRs Mohamed Sanu and Brandon Tate and TE Jermaine Gresham
720 - Yards rushing for Bengals RB Jeremy Hill in last seven games
588 - Yards rushing for Colts in last seven games
2-4 - Colts' record when teams rush it at least 30 times against them
8-0-1 - Bengals record this season when they rush it at least 30 times
29-3-1 - Dalton's record when Bengals rush at least 30 times
0-8 - Bengals' road record in playoffs, including Super Bowls
2-4 - Bengals QB Ken Anderson's play-off record
3-2 - Bengals QB Boomer Esiason's play-off record
0-5 - Lewis' play-off record
0-3 - Paul Brown's play-off record as Bengals coach
Plus-37 - Bengals' turnover differential since Lewis became coach in 2003, eighth best in NFL
Plus-57 - Colts' turnover differential since 2003, second best in NFL
Minus-11 - Bengals' turnover differential in Lewis' five post-season games
Minus-5 - Colts' turnover differential this season
