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Cincinnati Bengals’ A.J. Green (concussion) ruled out vs. Indianapolis Colts

BySam Richmond|
Nov 30, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without star wide receiver A.J. Green for their Wild Card matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

If the Cincinnati Bengals are to defeat the Indianapolis Colts and advance to the Divisional round, they’ll have to do so without perhaps their best player.

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The Bengals officially declared wide receiver A.J. Green out for the Wild Card matchup on Saturday.

Green entered into the NFL’s concussion protocol following the Bengals’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. Although he returned to practice on Thursday, Green missed Friday’s practice and was considered doubtful for the Wild Card round, making this latest development not much of a surprise. 

Still, this is no doubt a tough break for the Bengals.

There were already concerns about how well Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was going to perform against the Colts, given the TCU product’s struggles in past playoffs. Now without Green, it’s only going to be that much more difficult for Dalton to perform well and earn the first postseason win of his career.

During an injury-plagued season, Green still posted 69 catches, 1,041 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games. He’s been one of the best wide receivers in the league since the Bengals drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He’s racked up 329 catches for 4,874 yards and 82 touchdowns in 60 games over four seasons.

Without Green, the Bengals are likely to rely heavily on the ground attack versus the Colts.

Cincy is one of the best rushing teams in the league (they rank sixth in rushing yards per game) and are especially dangerous given how well running back Jeremy Hill is playing at the moment.

In the Bengals’ last three games, Hill has rushed for a whopping 395 yards and three touchdowns. Expect him to see the ball early and often in this game while Giovani Bernard will be used in a change-of-pace role.

The Colts have been decent defending the run this season (they rank 18th in opposing rushing yards allowed per game), but it certainly won’t be easy to stop the Bengals’ running game with the way it is rolling right now.

The game is set for a 1:05 p.m. ET start Sunday on CBS.

The Bengals enter the game with a 10-5-1 record while the Colts are 11-5.

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