3 Questions about the Bengals’ turnaround season
By Emile Pierce
Can Dalton Be Consistent?
There’s no doubt about Andy Dalton’s abilities. The question arises when he’s thrown into a big game. Granted, each game on the schedule is important. Yet, Dalton’s struggles under the bright lights of primetime have become a thing of legend. There’s a story told about Dalton having to pull this golden football from a stone. Wait…wrong legend.
All things considered, Dalton is the key. Whether some Bengals fans want to believe it or not, his stats put him in the same arena with some of the top-tier quarterbacks. But, his playoff record flat out stinks. Winning the big games is why QB’s get the long money. So far, Dalton’s dominance (?) has only come during the regular season. For this reason, it’s easy to lump Lewis and Dalton together.
The 2017 season has to be a soul searching campaign for Dalton. He’ll be called upon to use the weapons acquired in the draft. He’s being surrounded by youth, talent and speed. In order to utilize every option, his mindset has to go beyond the obvious. Dalton can actually lead the Bengals to more than a playoff win. The problem? He has to have confidence in Zampese’s system and his ability to run it.
Solution:
Dalton has to think of each game in terms of winning the Lombardi. He has to transform into a cocky little twerp who knows he can win each game. He has to develop a swagger that makes opposing D’s hate playing against him. A return to the complete version of 2015 would do the trick.