Cincinnati Bengals: 3 reasons Ryan Finley should be getting a lot of attention

The Cincinnati Bengals are getting some attention this preseason, courtesy of rookie quarterback Ryan Finley.

One national post about rookie quarterbacks should get the attention of Cincinnati Bengals fans. It notes how Ryan Finley might be the player causing veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to look over his shoulder.

Hype or not, the Bengals are at an exciting and interesting time in the franchise. After moving on from the Marvin Lewis days, the breath of fresh air is now being sponsored by a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback. While it’s premature to say the clock is ticking on Dalton, that timer could begin if the team is struggling at any point this season.

For fans, the opinion always seems split. Dalton has had a good career in Cincinnati, but you’d be foolish if you were to insist it’s been a rousing success. Dalton doesn’t fit in the elite category of NFL quarterbacks, but he also isn’t an also-ran filling a roster spot. While he hasn’t manufactured a playoff win, he’s been instrumental in the Bengals getting to the postseason.

Just don’t tell me that’s enough. Numbers are nice, they are a measuring stick, but so is 0 for the playoffs, and in the NFL, THAT is what moves the needle.

Is Finley the quarterback to finally help the Bengals breakthrough? For that to happen, he’ll need to find the field in the regular season. If you’re an optimistic fan in Cincinnati, these are optimistic times. Zac Taylor could be what finally turns around a franchise stuck in the mud, and Finley might be the quarterback of the future.

Either way, a good preseason so far has not just fans, but the national media, excited about what might be. While there isn’t and should not be a quarterback controversy in Cincinnati, people are talking. For Taylor and Finley, that’s a great thing. For Dalton, not so much.