Walkthrough 1.1: Sunday's secret stat

Happy New Year to all. Glad you are reading this through your hangover. I'll try to do this with as little vomit-inducing chatter as possible. Grab the water, hammer the greasy omelette, swallow the antacid and let's do this.

Have to claim a bit of frustration with my NYE. It was delightful to relax at the homestead, eat a delicious meal (grilling out in the cold not as terrible of an idea as I feared it might be), drink some champagne, call it a night right after midnight. However, I ended up watching some of CNN's NYE coverage. I've always stood by a few opinions in life: Always buy the first round, never be the first to sing karaoke and hold complete disdain for Kathy Griffin.

Well, unfortunately, I'm not happy to admit Kathy Griffin was actually funny last night. I didn't want this to be true so don't hold it against me, but the CNN NYE show may have been the best of all the garbage NYE shows out there. I'm not sure how this happened, and frankly I'm disappointed to have to relay the information, but it's true. Have to give her credit for secretly dying ole Anderson Cooper's hair red and blue to go with his white. Pretty good stuff. Don't judge me (so much for avoiding vomit-inducing chatter).

Now that I got that off my chest, moving on to football.

Looking deeper at Sunday's playoff tilt, one stat rarely discussed around the Bengals this year has been their dropped interceptions. Anybody who has watched the Bengals this year constantly bemoaned their inability to hang on to game-changing turnovers.

In fact, they lead the league in the stat.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals are first with 17 dropped picks. Houston ranks second with 15. Terence Newman leads the team with five.

Here's how amazing that stat is -- the Bengals are tied for third in the NFL with 20 interceptions. They could have broken records had they just held on to a few more.

On the flip side, Andrew Luck has a propensity for throwing picks. His 16 interceptions rank sixth in the NFL. Here's a perfect example Paul Guenther discusses yesterday from the first game in Indy. Could have been a game-changing pick that went for six the other way. Instead, a drop.

Granted, much of Luck's high interception number stems from his volume of attempts, but whatever, turnovers are turnovers. In the playoffs they decide games. Almost always. That's why the Bengals haven't won a playoff game under Marvin Lewis.

Unbelievably, the Bengals are minus-12 in turnover differential in their five playoff games in the Lewis Era. They have created just a single turnover against 13 giveaways. Just a staggering statistic.

Since the Colts run the ball less than about any team in the postseason, expect plenty of opportunities for picks. The big question is if the Bengals will make good on them and finally swing the critical turnover differential.

ON TAP TODAY

The Bengals head up to the bubble again for practice. Another day to see if A.J. Green returns from his concussion.

TWITTER QUESTION OF THE DAY

Thanks for the latest question, Paul.

For those that are familiar Marvin got a little testy with a local TV reporter who asked a question about the message on the monitors. He was referring to monitors up in the locker room and around the inner corners of the buildings. They typically have messages for players, photos and such.

Marvin took issue to speaking outside the building about what is on those monitors in the private portion of the locker room area. Not sure that I buy that as a legitimate gripe that we shouldn't be able to comment on what we see in a place we are allowed to be in, but I understand where he's coming from. Some things are supposed to be held private and this particular reporter isn't a sports regular and it seems Marvin wanted his point to be clear. Wasn't that much of a big deal, but just a smaller example of the all-business persona he was putting on for this particular press conference to combat all the playoff stuff.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The latest on A.J. Green, who did not practice Thursday and his status for Sunday hangs in doubt.

These Bengals say they aren't carrying baggage from the past into Sunday's game. There's no shortage of Samsonite lying around, though.

The Bengals run defense looks completely different than it did in Week 7. Paul Guenther says that looked like a preseason game with all the young guys filling in.

ColumnistsPaul Daugherty and Indy's Gregg Doyel discuss this weekend's playoff matchup.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

A look at the sites and sounds of the first day of practice and the question everyone in the building has to answer on the fourth time through: Why haven't you won in the playoffs?

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Indy Star: The Colts thought they were rounding into healthy shape up front. Then Gosder Cherilus went on IR yesterday. Read about Indy's jumbled o-line mess.

TheMMQB: Andy Benoit offers an analytical preview of Colts-Bengals.

BENGALS TWEET OF THE DAY

How can you not love the Peko family. The beard-hat combo make for a strong look.

WORDS FROM THE ANALYSTS

ESPN held a conference call with it's analysts since this is the first weekend they will host a Wild Card game. The questions were all over the map and there were a few with relevance to the Bengals and Colts. Wanted to share one of their answers. There are so many analysts and opinions out there it's hard to filter through, but these guys have as good a feel for the quality teams in the league as anybody.

Jon Gruden on Andrew Luck's evolution and where he is at right now:

JG: "I just can't get over the playing strength that he has. I think he's on fumes a little bit. He has taken a lot of hits. He's wearing down. I worry about Luck. I really do. They have not run the ball very well. He's taken some real hits. Last week was a huge, I think, confidence builder for the Colts. I really like their scheme. I just think their protection has been very inconsistent. T. Y. Hilton has been in and out of the lineup, but Luck has taken a huge amount of punishment in my opinion. If they can keep him upright, his will to compete, his playing strength and his knowledge of the game gives him a chance to win every single time out, but they've got to get him some better looks, I think, in the pocket."

THROWBACK THURSDAY

A look at Boomer Esiason on Jan. 6, 1991 -- otherwise known as the last time the Bengals won a playoff game. On this day it was against the Houston Oilers.

AND FINALLY

Bit of a theme of the week here in Bengalsville. The pressure is mounting as the day of reckoning is finally upon us. Take it Queen.