CINCINNATI — The only other time the Chargers and Bengals met in the playoffs was in the 1981 AFC Championship game when the wind chill was minus-59 and the Bengals dispatched the team from Southern California.
It won’t be quite that cold Sunday, but temperatures are expected to be around freezing with some rain and snow. The Chargers come into the game as the hottest team in the AFC, winners of four in a row. But can they deal with the elements as well as the Bengals, who were a perfect 8-0 at home this season?
“It’s what playoff football is: You play in it and handle the elements, and I don’t think it really is an issue,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. “I don’t think we’re spending much time checking out the weather forecast. We’ll go there and play in whatever conditions there are.”
The Chargers’ last loss came to the Bengals on Dec. 1 in San Diego. They have been on a roll since and eked their way into the playoffs with a win over a Chiefs team that rested its stars.
The Bengals are in the playoffs for the third straight season, but they have not won a playoff game since 1990, before rookie running back Giovani Bernard was born. The Chargers have not been in the playoffs since 2009, and just six players remain from that team that lost to the Jets in the divisional round.
“I think it helps having a lot of the same guys back from the teams the last couple of years, guys that understand that we’ve had an opportunity that we haven’t taken advantage of,” Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said. “I think all that is going to help us going in this year. The staff, the players being the same, we have that extra year of experience, knowing what to expect going in and it’s going to help us out.”
A look inside the game:
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Chargers WR Keenan Allen vs. Bengals CBs Terence Newman and Adam Jones
Allen is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the last time these two teams met he was the only Chargers receiver who got open. He had eight catches for 106 yards that day while the Bengals shut down the other San Diego targets.
Newman covered him the most that day, but he is coming off a knee injury that kept him out of the past three games of the season. It is possible Jones could draw the Allen assignment this time. If the Bengals can limit Philip Rivers’ favorite target, they should win.
WILL ANDY BE DANDY?
Bengals QB Andy Dalton has had an up and down year. He threw 33 touchdowns this season … and 20 interceptions. Dalton has been better at home (20 TDs, nine INTs) this season, so that will be working in his favor.
Dalton has some strong targets in WRs A.J. Green and Marvin Jones. Green has 98 catches for 1,426 yards and 11 TDs this year. Jones added another 10 TDs. San Diego’s defense ranked 29th against the pass, so there should be chances for Dalton to strike.
THE RYAN EXPRESS
Chargers running back Ryan Mathews gave his offensive linemen Gucci watches after a career year. Mathews rushed for 1,255 yards this season and topped 100 yards six times, second only to the Eagles’ LeSean McCoy.
Mathews capped off the regular season with a career-high 144 yards on 24 carries against the Chiefs. He had 473 yards on 107 rushes over the Chargers’ final four games. He missed some practice time this week with an ankle injury, but said he will be ready for kickoff.
JOHN DALY WOULD BE PROUD
The Chargers are the kings of the long drives in the NFL. They led the league in 10-play drives (39) and scored 157 points off those drives.
Last week, the Chargers put together a 16-play, game-winning drive against the Chiefs. They had three scoring drives of 10 plays or more in that game. The long drives have allowed the Chargers to lead the league in average time of possession (32:59).
The Chargers converted 49 percent of their third-down chances, leading the league. The Bengals defense is led by linebacker Vontaze Burfict and finished third overall in the league.
KEEPING OUT OF THE RED
The Chargers may have to hit some big plays to score, because the Bengals rarely let you get close to the end zone. Cincinnati has allowed the fewest average red-zone appearances of any team this year at 2.2 percent. That number drops to 1.9 at home. The Bengals have given up touchdowns just 50 percent of the time when teams have reached the red zone.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
69.5
Completion percentage of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, the best mark in the NFL.
41.6
Average number of points the Bengals have scored in their past five home games.
0-4
Marvin Lewis’ playoff record as Bengals head coach.
COSTELLO’S CALL
The Bengals have been unbeatable at home this season. The Chargers stole a playoff spot against the Chiefs JV team in a game with bad officiating that benefitted them. It’s time for the Bengals to break through with a playoff win.
BENGALS 28, CHARGERS 6