Cincinnati Bengals: No Fault in Dalton
By Brian Dugan
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
What a start for the good guys of the north. 4-0 for the first time since 2005 and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking fantastic. Yes, there is plenty of talent on this roster. Yes, there is a litany of players in a contract year, and yes, we can all argue that head coach Marvin Lewis has the potential to be on the hot seat. None of these things, when looked at by individually, explain the performance of quarterback Andy Dalton.
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Andy Dalton, in his fifth year in Cincinnati, seems to have a complete grasp on Hue Jackson’s new offense. This was evident in week one, when Andy Dalton calmly led the offense to 33 points against Khalil Mack and the Oakland Raiders defense. Sure there was skepticism and rightfully so, but in Week 2, Andy Dalton backed up his Week 1 performance with an eye-dropping 50-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones. In Week 3, the Red Rifle launched another 80-yard strike to A.J. Green against Baltimore, and in Week 4, he connected with Brandon Tate on a calm and precise 55-yard strike.
Most starting NFL quarterbacks can sling the long ball, so the question must be asked: Really, how good is Andy Dalton this year? Well, let’s take a look.
Through 4 games, Andy Dalton is 78-for-116 (67.2%), he’s thrown for 1,187 yards (10.2 per attempt) and has thrown nine touchdowns to only one interception. Dalton’s 123.0 QB rating for the first four games is second only to Aaron Rodgers in the NFL. Ask yourself, how does this feel? It should feel new, because no quarterback in Bengals history has come out the gate on a hot streak quite like Dalton’s.
So what about when it matters most? Believe it or not, Dalton has been even better.
In the 4th quarter of games, Dalton is 12-for-18 with 242 yards and three touchdowns, which leads to a quarterback rating on 149.3.
What about when he’s playing without the lead?
Dalton hasn’t flinched; in fact, his best numbers have come in the face of adversity. When falling behind, Andy Dalton is 5-for-6 with 160 yards and two touchdowns, with a perfect QB rating of 158.3. Granted, Dalton’s Bengals have only trailed on two separate occasions in the Ravens game, for about a minute or so each. Then again, that’s a testament to the Red Rifle’s impact on this Bengals team. If there were ever a time for Andy Dalton, the time is now. He’s a top 10-quarterback and is playing like a potential MVP candidate. If Dalton can continue this success, the “Dalton is mediocre” narrative could finally come to an end.
Sure, plenty of people will immediately point out the fact that Dalton has yet to win a playoff game. That part of the story remains to be written, but what can be said, is that the four years of drafting and building has culminated into one exciting Bengals team–one very exciting team that should be a lot of fun to watch come playoff time.