Cincinnati Bengals: 4 reasons it is time to bench Andy Dalton

The 2019 NFL season isn’t in the books just yet. But for the 0-7 Cincinnati Bengals, the future should begin sooner rather than later. Heading to Week 8 in London, and after a bad loss against Jacksonville, the time is now time to bench Andy Dalton.

In the larger scheme of things, it’s more likely a plurality than the overwhelming majority of fans who think it’s now time to turn the page on quarterback Andy Dalton. In Week 7, the Cincinnati Bengals lost what was a very winnable game to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-17. Ultimately, Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium would display a level of offensive ineptness beginning with head coach Zac Taylor, which was then translated onto the field via his veteran quarterback.

Dalton was bad. All kinds of bad. And while a very good argument can be made that this isn’t all on Dalton, change needs to begin with him. Cincinnati is dead in the water at 0-7, and while switching to a rookie in Ryan Finley may be comparable to shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic, the time has come to see what someone else can do.

With a bye week beginning at the conclusion of their Week 8 game in London against the Los Angeles Rams, Taylor needs to reassess this Bengals team. He also needs to begin the long process of what the depth chart can do. Starting Finley doesn’t mean Finley is the future, but with the balance of the season now an evaluation, keeping him on the bench is a Fool’s errand. Cincinnati is a rebuild waiting to happen. Benching Dalton is step-one in what will be a lengthy process in the Queen City, that doesn’t need to be put on hold any longer.