Andy Dalton has said that the Cincinnati Bengals will have to be at their best to beat the San Diego Chargers in the NFL playoffs.

The AFC North champions, who were unbeaten at home during the regular season, host the Chargers in the wildcard round of the playoffs tomorrow.

The quarterback told reporters: "Since we played them [in the regular season], they've done a good job. They're 4-0, so we've got to be at our best. We know they're going to be at their best. It's going to be a good matchup, and we're excited about what we've got going this weekend.

"They needed to get some wins for them to make the playoffs, and they did that. We kind of know what to expect going into the game, and we'll be ready to go.

"We fell short the last couple years. We didn't take advantage of some plays that could have helped us, so I think understanding and really having that experience is helping us."

The Bengals have lost in the wildcard round in the last two seasons.