As we watch Bengals vs Colts live online free today, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton may actually be the more interesting of the two QBs to watch. Yes, Andrew Luck has the Indianapolis Colts riding a four-game winning streak, but Dalton has more wide receivers at his disposal, plus a top-12 rushing game to back him up.
Today’s Bengals Colts game is a matchup of two division-leading teams, with the 3-1-1 Bengals atop the AFC North and the 4-2 Colts leading the AFC South. It’s also a matchup of two very talented but different quarterbacks.
Neither Andy Dalton nor Andrew Luck played the last time the Bengals and Colts faced off, a 35-7 Cincinnati preseason win in August. Though the outcome was meaningless, it did shed light on the teams’ biggest difference: the Bengals have a ground game, and the Colts don’t. In the preseason finale, rookie running back Jeremy Hill, who normally backs up Giovani Bernard, carried the ball 20 times for 90 yards and was the Bengals’ top receiver with 70 yards. Through five games, the Bengals’ running back duo has 717 combined rushing and receiving yards.
Cincinnati’s biggest win is in the diversity of receivers Dalton has as options. With A.J. Green sidelined again, Dalton will look once again to Bernard, tight end Jermaine Gresham and WR Mohamed Sanu, who last week caught 10 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. In fact, in last Sunday’s 37-37 tie with Carolina, Dalton hit four players for four or more receptions.
Andrew Luck, on the other hand, has the Colts sitting atop the NFL in passing yards and total yards per game with just two serious threats. Wide receivers T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne continue to be Luck’s top targets, having caught passes for 604 and 419 yards, respectively. The biggest change for Luck hasn’t been number of receivers, but the protection he’s gotten from his offensive line.
That, and a vastly improved Colts defense. Indy last week struggled against the Texans’ Arian Foster, so they may struggle today against the Colts’ tandem of Bernard and Hill. The Bengals defense, on the other hand, will just be looking to stay above water, as it’s really faltered after a strong start.
Here is some useful information as you prepare to watch Bengals vs Colts live online free streaming.
- Kickoff for Today’s Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts game: 1:00pm EST / 10:00am PST
- Stadium: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts are the home team)
- Who’s favored / point spread: the Colts are a 3-point favorite
- Live stream the Bengals / Colts game on CBS Sports here
- Watch live free online on the DirecTV website here (requires an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription with MAX package)