Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton try to change legacies

INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton have similar achievements on their resumes -- and similar glaring holes.

Each made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Each has three straight seasons with double-digit wins. Neither has missed the playoffs.

Both understand their legacies will be determined by postseason successes and failures. And today, the two young quarterbacks will get another chance to fill in some of those gaps when the Colts and Bengals meet in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

"I don't think just getting to the playoffs has ever been good enough in this building," Luck said this past week.

The Colts' franchise quarterback learned his lesson the hard way.

After directing one of the greatest one-season turnarounds in NFL history in 2012, Luck came up short against eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore in the first round of the playoffs.

Last year, after engineering the second-biggest comeback in postseason history, Luck spent the offseason pondering how to reduce turnovers. He blamed himself for throwing three interceptions that helped put Indianapolis in a 28-point deficit against Kansas City, and then threw four more picks the next week in a 43-22 loss at New England.

Now Luck is eager to prove two-time AFC South champion Indianapolis (11-5) is ready to take another big step.

Dalton's postseason problems are just as obvious.

In three playoff games, all losses, he's thrown one touchdown pass and six interceptions and accumulated a passer rating of 56.2. Another defeat would put Dalton in a tie with Warren Moon for most consecutive opening-round playoff losses by a quarterback.

History is not on the Bengals' side, either. Cincinnati (10-5-1) is 0-6 in road playoff games, has lost seven straight in Indianapolis and hasn't won in the playoffs since January 1991.

If Dalton ends that misery, he finally might silence the critics.

"Winning in general is how quarterbacks are judged," Dalton said. "If you win a lot in the regular season but you haven't won a lot in the postseason, then they're going to say that you couldn't do something."

Green out for Bengals. The Bengals announced that receiver A.J. Green won't play because of a concussion. How much of an impact could Green's absence have? When the four-time Pro Bowler missed the first Colts game with an injured right big toe, the offense went nowhere in a 27-0 loss.

Indy's line hurting. Colts right tackle Gosder Cherilus went on injured reserve this past week with groin, hip and shoulder injuries. Right guard Hugh Thornton (shoulder) has been ruled out. A.Q. Shipley, who started at left guard in Week 17, is doubtful with an ankle injury, too.