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Cincinnati Bengals prepare to play without A.J. Green

ByCory Buck|
Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) reacts on the bench in the first half against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 37-28. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) reacts on the bench in the first half against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 37-28. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals are preparing for their Wild Card playoff game with the assumption that receiver A.J. Green will not be available.

It looks like the road the Super Bowl will be a little tougher for the Cincinnati Bengals as they are reportedly planning to play Sunday’s Wild Card game at the Indianapolis Colts without star receiver A.J. Green in the lineup.

Green exited the team’s Week 17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers early with a suspected concussion and has since been going through the protocol with middling results. Green has been unable to practice all week, leading to the prognosis that he’ll likely be absent.

It would be a huge blow to the Bengals, who are still seeking their first playoff win since 1990. This is the fifth time in the last six years the team has made the playoffs, but they’ve lost their first playoff game every time. The Colts pose a great opportunity for Cincy to finally get the monkey off their back, but now if it’s going to happen, it will be without Cincinnati’s best player on offense.

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The burden now shifts to Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, who must have big games on the ground to keep the passing lanes open for quarterback Andy Dalton, who has been under heavy scrutiny for most of his career thanks to the team’s playoff failures and his own shortcomings in those losses.

In his three career playoff games, Dalton has just one touchdown pass to six interceptions, making him the focal point of the pain suffered by Bengals fans in this 25-year stretch.

Look for Dalton to rely on Mohamed Sanu in the passing game. Sanu has assumed the role as the team’s top receiver in the past when Green has missed time. A.J. Green actually missed four games this season and Sanu excelled in his absence.

Now offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will hope to re-kindle that connection among others in order to deliver a win for the Bengals. The Colts have home field advantage, but they hardly hold the edge on defense. The team has allowed over 113 rushing yards per game, which could provide the change-of-pace key for the Cincy offense.

Look for Dalton to start with a heavy dose of the running game in an attempt to soften the Indy defense and later find Sanu among others downfield.

The teams play Sunday at 1:05PM EST and can be seen on CBS.

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