INDIANAPOLIS — The past three conference champions and the Indianapolis Colts are the four teams still standing in the American Football Conference.
Indianapolis advanced to the divisional playoffs for a rematch with the Denver Broncos with a 26-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. That game will be the final game played next weekend, Sunday at 4:30 p.m., and is the third matchup between Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Manning threw three touchdown passes and the Broncos built a 31-10 lead before hanging on to beat the Colts 31-24 in Week 1 of the 2014 regular season.
“We know they’re a tough team,” Luck said Sunday. “We know they’re a great team. It’ll take perfection in all three phases.”
Luck passed for 376 yards against the Bengals, his third consecutive 300-yard passing game in the postseason.
No. 1 seed New England, like Denver on bye this week, will host wild-card winner Baltimore. The Ravens, seeded sixth in the AFC, won at Pittsburgh in Saturday’s wild-card grudge match. The Ravens and Patriots play Saturday at 4:35 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.
Baltimore beat the Steelers in the playoffs for the first time, but the Ravens have no fear about going on the road to play the Patriots. The Ravens are 2-1 against the Patriots in road playoff meetings, including a 28-13 victory in 2013 that sent the team to New Orleans before Baltimore beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge, and we know that,” said Ravens All-Pro defensive end Elvis Dumervil. “But we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
Saturday’s game will be the fourth trip to Foxborough, Mass., for the Ravens in the past six years.
At Indianapolis on Sunday, Luck rolled up the 376 yards along with a touchdown, and Adam Vinatieri kicked four field goals, leading the Colts by the Bengals.
“The offensive tempo was great,” Luck said. “It helps us, it helps with the rush and it helps with the defense trying to to align and seeing things. I think our guys love it. They love going out there making plays, and they love making them fast.
“I thought our offensive line handled that very, very well. It helped us get some of those nice, long drives. Obviously, with our first drive, we got points and made some positive plays. Even if we would have a negative run, we would bounce back and make a first down by converting a third down.”
Vinatieri’s fourth field goal — a 22-yarder with 11:31 to go — gave the Colts a commanding 26-10 lead against the Bengals, who finish 10-6-1, losing their ninth consecutive playoff game, saddling quarterback Andy Dalton with an 0-4 record in NFL postseason play.
Dalton finished 18 of 35 for 155 yards as the Bengals took the field without top two receivers A.J. Green and tight end Jermaine Gresham.
The Colts dominated the third quarter, extending a 13-10 halftime lead to 23-10 entering the fourth quarter.
Luck capped a six-play, 61-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donte Moncrief with 7:40 remaining in the period, giving Indianapolis a 20-10 lead. Luck finished 31 of 44 for the aforementioned 376 yards.
Vinatieri’s 22-yard field goal with 1:31 to play in the third quarter gave the Colts a 23-10 advantage. That Colts drive was 10 plays, 53 yards.
The Colts received the game’s opening kickoff and drove 71 yards in nine plays, taking a 7-0 lead with 11:05 remaining in the first quarter on Daniel Herron’s 2-yard run.
Cincinnati pulled even at 7 with 1:28 to go in the first quarter on Jeremy Hill’s 1-yard run, which capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive.
Indianapolis regained the lead at 10-7 on Vinatieri’s 38-yard field goal with 12:41 remaining in the second quarter. That Colts drive covered 71 yards in 11 plays.
A Vinatieri field goal from 29 yards with 8:34 to go in the half extended Indianapolis’ lead to 13-7. That time, the Colts moved 53 yards in six plays.
The Bengals climbed to within 13-10 at halftime on Mike Nugent’s franchise postseason record 57-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter. That kick also was Nugent’s season long, which until Sunday was 49 yards.
Luck completed 16 of 27 first-half passes for 219 yards. Dalton completed 11 of 16 opening-half attempts for 91 yards. The Colts out gained the Bengals 263-156.
Herron lost one fumble and the team recovered another, but he led the Colts with 56 yards on 10 carries and also had a team-high 10 receptions for 85 yards.
NOTES: Colts RB Daniel Herron started in place of Trent Richardson, who had the flu. … Bengals WR Brandon Tate started in place of A.J. Green, who was out due to a concussion. … During the first half, the Bengals lost LB Ray Maualuga with a hamstring injury and CB Dre Kirkpatrick with an ankle injury. … Inactive for the Colts were CB Jalil Brown, CB Sheldon Price, LB Henoc Muamba, C A.Q. Shipley, G Hugh Thornton, T Xavier Nixon and NT Zach Kent … Inactive for the Bengals were QB AJ McCarron, Green, CB Chris Lewis-Harris, T Tanner Hawkison, DT Devon Still, TE Jermaine Gresham and WR James Wright. … It’s the second time this season Indianapolis has beaten Cincinnati in Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts also won 27-0 on Oct. 19. … Indianapolis improved to 7-2 at home this season, losing only to Philadelphia and AFC No. 1 seed New England. … The Bengals ended their season with three losses in their final five games.