Cincinnati Bengals: Winners and losers from Week 2 blowout loss to 49ers

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CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 15: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals drops back to pass during the first quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /

After a big performance in Week 1, a 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had another solid start. The veteran quarterback was 26 of 42, for 311 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 41-17 loss to the 49ers.

This is significant, in that Dalton is finding some consistency in the offensive game plan and looks for all the world to be clicking in what Taylor wants to do. The benefit looks to be the potential for big plays down the field and a lot of points on the board. While 20 and 19 points in consecutive weeks aren’t huge point totals, this isn’t an offense mired in three yards and a cloud of dust.

Dalton needed this. He needed a more modern pass-happy kind of approach, especially as he moves into the latter stages of a career that has been more mediocre than not. It also shows he still has some mileage to go in a league where a significant generational shift is happening at his position.

In Taylor’s offense, he has an opportunity to make some noise in 2019. He may not be a franchise type of quarterback, but he is still a significant competitor who can carry a pass-heavy offense.