Andy Dalton and the “Greatest pass he’s ever Thrown”
By Jason Marcum
Jan 5, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) attempts a pass against the Houston Texans during the third quarter of the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Andy Dalton will have to bare significantly more pressure on his shoulders when the 2013 season begins, as he’ll be at the controls of an offense the received a number of upgrades this offseason not to mention he has a defense that could very well be the best in the NFL. anything short of a playoff berth will be viewed as a disappointment, and many in Cincinnati will be counting on him to end a two-decade drought of 0 playoff wins. But will the third-year man out of TCU be ready to step up his game and take on the kind of pressure?
Former Bengals safety Artrell Hawkins got to take in the first practice of the team’s OTAs last week, and he claims he witnessed the greatest pass Dalton has ever thrown in a practice or game situation:
"The Play: On the Bengals first play from scrimmage, Off vs Def or “team period” QB Andy Dalton carried out a run fake to the offenses’ left side to RB Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis, settled in the pocket and then delivered a perfectly thrown, backside-post to a streaking Marvin Jones that would have made Tom Brady stand and salute. If Marvin Jones (known for his stellar gospel singing) were wearing his church clothes, Dalton would have dropped it directly into his left front-shirt pocket. Marvin Jones never broke stride on the play-pass, which covered approximately 60+ yards and hung in the air for what could best be described as a “football eternity”. The deep play-action-post Dalton blessed Jones with yesterday was of the “Sunday’s best” variety."
While we won’t know if Dalton is able to take the next step in his development until the 2013 season opens, it is encouraging to see that he at least looks better in practice. We’re still two months away from the start of training camp, so Dalton still has plenty of time to hone his craft before the real bullets start to fly.
Make on mistake about it: This team has all of the tools to make a deep playoff run. What will ultimately decide where the 2013 Cincinnati Bengals finish will be the play of Andy Dalton.
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