Cincinnati Bengals go back to Andy Dalton for Week 13 against the Jets

The Cincinnati Bengals are going back to Andy Dalton for their Week 13 game against the New York Jets.

The Cincinnati Bengals made another move today, deciding to go with veteran quarterback Andy Daltron for their Week 13 game against the New York Jets. Dalton, who was benched at the bye week after a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, will replace rookie Ryan Finley who was less than impressive in three starts, including a 16-10 loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a record of 0-11, and largely in control of the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the move is an interesting one, and sends more mixed signals than anything else. Dalton, who was at the controls of an 0-8 start, may or may not be able to do much better than Finley has in the context of wins or losses. That said, the Bengals have seen two winnable games become losses due to the poor performance of Finley.

What’s next for Cincinnati is anybody’s guess. What Dalton brings to a team who is still winless may be a jolt, but potentially only temporary. What it may signal most, is some remarkable dysfunction from a team who seems to lack both direction and a cohesive game plan for where the Bengals are headed. It may also be interesting if receiver A.J. Green is at some point back on the field now that Dalton is.

Taylor and the Bengals organization need to figure this out. If Dalton is back for the last five games of the season, what is the plan moving forward? Does the organization want to see if Dalton is still the quarterback they want in 2020 and beyond, setting up a potential pick like Chase Young from Ohio State?

Fans may be happy to have Dalton back at quarterback, but questions still linger about where this franchise is headed. Fan favorite or not, 0-11 for started when Dalton went 0-8. Numbers don’t lie, no matter how much you want to ignore them.