Bengals out to end lengthy playoff drought
CINCINNATI, OHIO — Marvin Lewis can end all those comparisons with Susan Lucci’s long run of futility — his in the NFL post-season, hers in the Emmys. The Bengals can break one of the longest playoff droughts in league history. Or they can ... Well, they don’t even want to think about the alternative. The Bengals (11-5) will either break free of their playoff past or add another cementing moment to the franchise’s recent history of being a big-game dud.
The AFC North champions will host the San Diego Chargers (9-7) with everything in their favour: playing at home, where they’ve been invincible this season; facing a West Coast team playing in the Midwest cold; getting a rematch with a team they pushed around only a month ago.
It’s been a long time since they’ve had this good a chance to get their first playoff win since the 1990 season and end the seventh-longest streak of post-season futility in NFL history.
“Win and you won’t have to worry about it,” Lewis said.
The Chargers are just relieved to have the chance. They had to win four in a row to get into the playoffs, and did it with the help of a missed field goal and an officiating error during an overtime win against Kansas City last Sunday.
“So we’ve kind of been in that playoff mode for a few weeks,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “It’s important for us not to change anything as far as how we approach this game. ”
Some things to watch on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium:
BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE: It won’t be like the other time the Chargers and Bengals met in the playoffs: below-zero temperatures and a wind chill of minus-59F for Cincinnati’s 27-7 win in the AFC title game at Riverfront Stadium on Jan. 10, 1982. But temperatures in the 30sF and snow are expected. Regardless of the weather, the Bengals have been hot at home, going 8-0 for only the second time in franchise history.
ALL ABOUT ANDY DALTON: The third-year quarterback is on the spot. In the Bengals’ playoff losses at Houston each of the last two seasons, he has been sacked six times, thrown four interceptions without a touchdown, and has a passer rating of 42.8. Dalton set franchise records with 33 touchdown passes and 4,296 yards passing this season, but the stats that will matter are the ones on Sunday.
RIVERS ROLLS: Rivers has the Chargers back in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons after one of his best statistical seasons. Rivers completed a team-record, career-best and NFL-leading 69.5 per cent of his passes for 4,478 yards, third highest of his career, with 32 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. His passer rating of 105.5 was a career best and tied the team record.