NFL Playoffs: MVPs and LVPs of Wild Card Weekend

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Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) is pressured by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap (96) during the third quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

LVPs

The Cincinnati Bengals’ Pass Rush

They had a lot working against them, but the Cincinnati Bengals pass rush should have gotten a lot more pressure against the Colts. With wide receiver A.J. Green and tight end Jermaine Gresham out of the game due to injury, the pass rush needed to have a dominating performance and give the offense a chance to score if they were to give the team any hope of winning in Indianapolis. They could not deliver.

Against the Colts, the Bengals pass rush was only able to generate one sack on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. They also allowed him to pass for 376 yards. The number should have been higher if the Colts’ receiving corps were not prone to dropping catchable passes.

All season long, the Bengals inability to get pressure on the quarterback was a weakness that got them into a lot of trouble. They ranked dead last in the NFL with 20 sacks for the season, which led to offenses throwing 3,888 total passing yards against them for the season which ranked 20^th in the league.

This dip in production is a surprise considering they ranked fifth in the league last season in terms of passing yards allowed and was 10^th in the league with 43 sacks. If they Bengals want to help head coach Marvin Lewis win his first playoff game since taking over as head coach, they are going to need to get back to wreaking havoc on the quarterback.

Next: The Cardinals powerless running game

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