Through the first two weeks of the season, Bengals QB Andy Dalton has played like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The question we all should ask, though, is will it last?
When you mention the name Andy Dalton, you are guaranteed to get a split reaction on how people feel about him. There is a good amount of people who feel like the Bengals aren’t ever going to win with him, and need to move on. While another group of people completely support him, and want him to be the QB still for years to come.
A lot of these different opinion’s have formed because of two different Andy Dalton’s. The two Andy Dalton’s are typically referred to as good Andy and bad Andy.
As a Bengal fan there were a few things you could come to expect from Dalton. When the Bengals play a day game against a team with a .500 record or less. You were able to expect Dalton to play really good. On the flip side if the Bengals played in prime time, you could expect bad Andy to show up. This was shown in his 6-19 career prime time record. You could also expect when the Bengals played a good team with a record above .500 Dalton’s play usually wouldn’t be to great either. Once again as shown by his 16-32 record against teams with a winning record.
That is what has caused such debate and divide when talking about Andy Dalton. He has been one of the most successful QB’s in Bengals history in terms of wins. However he has also benefited from being surrounded by some of the most talented teams in Bengals history. Andy Dalton has done what he is supposed to do against bad teams and during the day. However has been a completely different QB when they play under the light or against a good team.
So its fair to ask if this hot start to the season will last or not? The answer to that question is, yes good Andy is here to stay.
Andy started to break some of his trends during the very last game of last season. Typically Andy Dalton usually would make a play to add to the mess once things started going bad. In that last game against the Ravens last year after the Bengals blew the lead. Instead of getting down and making things worst. He stepped up and made a perfect throw to win the game.
That has carried over to this season. The first pass of the year 2018 season he throws an interception. Us Bengal fans knowing Andy. Know if Dalton starts off a game bad, usually he stays bad all game. Yet that wasn’t the case, and he bounced back and played basically a perfect game leading a comeback victory against the Colts.
Andy Dalton continued to break the trend last week in the win against the Ravens. The Bengals were playing in primetime, against a good team that many people were projecting to be a true playoff team. Instead of bad Andy showing up like he has in those situations his first 7 seasons. He goes out and takes it to the Ravens right from the start.
This past off-season and season has been a year of the Bengals breaking trends. I believe we are also going to see Andy Dalton break his trend too. Good Andy Dalton is here to stay.