Cincinnati Bengals: Fans get to see the past and future of QB play in Week 5
By Steve Rivera
In a Week 5 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals, both the past and future of the quarterback position will be on full display.
Week 5 may be an interesting watch for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. Andy Dalton, a solid soldier for the home team, will bear witness to what a lot of football fans already know. The future of the position seen in places like Kansas City and Los Angeles goes on full display at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.
Kyler Murray, the most recent Heisman Trophy winner, brings his 0-3-1 Arizona Cardinals team to the Queen City for a battle of two teams looking for, actually desperate for, a first win. Victory in Week 5 likely moves the needle little, but it will help build some optimism as both teams stare down a tough remainder to the first half of the season.
Bengals fans will note the different type of offense, tempo, and optimism Murray brings. Even in defeat, the feeling is the Cardinals are turning things around, or at the very least, heading in the right direction at the most important position in the NFL. Murray is a playmaker, and in today’s quarterback/offensive centric game, not having a playmaker is like playing 10 players versus 11. It’s noticeable and it’s debilitating.
Dalton isn’t Murray. Yet again, no one is. Fans ARE beginning to see a different type of offense given what players like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and even Russell Wilson produce on Sundays. They become a weapon beyond a “quick release” or what a steady veteran provides. It’s the future. It’s where the league is headed.
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Win or lose, fans should take note of what Arizona has at the quarterback position and what Cincinnati does not. Dalton has been serviceable, but a win in Week 5 doesn’t mean he’s the future. Love him or not, he’s a unique contrast that the past is the past, and a player like Murray is the future.