Bengals Banter: Ranking Dalton, Rookie Success, & Safety Net
By Jason Marcum
Oct 21, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) passes the ball during pre game warm ups against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE
If you were watching the NFL Today pregame show on CBS yesterday, Dolphins hall-of-fame quarterback Dan Marino did a ranking of all of the NFL’s young quarterbacks, and he ranked Andy Dalton fourth among the young QBs. His top three were Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton, and had this to say on Dalton:
"He plays like an experienced veteran. Tough and productive. May never be great but you can win with him."
Coming off of their bye week in the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Cincinnati Bengals are heading into a stretch of games that will be intriguing to see in regards to the quarterbacks who will be participating, as noted by Bengals.com.
"He(Andy Dalton) won’t be able to escape the comparisons when Denver’s Peyton Manning (Nov. 4, 1 p.m.), the New York Giants’ Eli Manning (Nov. 11, 1 p.m.) and Oakland’s Carson Palmer (1 p.m., Nov. 25) come to town. The Mannings because they’re the quintessential franchise quarterbacks who have won a combined three Super Bowls and Palmer because he is Dalton’s predecessor who never realized his promise in Cincinnati after two Pro Bowls and a division title in his first three seasons."
They also note how despite his recent struggles, Dalton’s stats compare favorably to that of his upcoming competition:
"Dalton’s passer rating of 82.7 in that stretch is better than the Mannings’ (Peyton’s 77.2 and Eli’s 69.7) and below Palmer’s 89.6 while throwing fewer picks than all three in the first 23 games with 23. Peyton threw 36 interceptions, Eli 25, and Palmer 24. Peyton set the pace with 40 TDs, followed by Palmer at 38, Dalton at 33, and Eli at 28."
Joe Reedy did an assessment of the Bengals rookie draft class, noting the emergence of Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, and the surprise the Bengals got in undrafted Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
Oct 14, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Nate Clements (22) during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Cleveland won 34-24. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE
Pro Football Focus did a brief review of Nate Clements move from cornerback to free safety.
They also did a Pro Bowl cheat sheet, noting how Kevin Zeitler, Geno Atkins, and A.J. Green are all worthy of being in Honolulu this year:
"Zeitler gets a nod as the only offensive rookie to make either squad — his all-around ability and consistency has more in common with an eight-year veteran."
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