Hue Jackson: Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton has ‘more urgency’
Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton’s urgency got him into interception trouble last year, but in camp this year, it seems to be a good thing.
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“There’s more urgency in his body,” Hue Jackson said of Dalton following the Bengals’ first minicamp practice Tuesday, via NFL Nation’s Coley Harvey. “All the way around, he’s improving.
“But we’ve got to keep improving.”
According to Harvey, Dalton delivered a 40-yard in-air dime from the left hashmark to a well-covered A.J. Green along the right sideline. Of course, that was one throw in training camp. It’s not exactly earth shattering. That’s Dalton’s job. So Jackson remains patient.
“Again, we have a lot more practices before we get ready to play a game,” Jackson said. “So I’m excited about what the upside is, but I know we’ve got to go get there. We’ve got to keep chasing it every day to get there.”
The red-headed wonder from TCU is heading into muddy waters this season, and some suspect it could be a sink or swim season for Dalton. Good thing Dalton got back to the basics this summer by studying the fundamentals with throwing instructor Tom House, a former major league pitcher. The pair worked on throwing mechanics. House has a solid resume of work experience, having spent time doing similar training with Drew Brees and Tom Brady. That’s company Dalton can aspire to keeping.
The mechanics work focused on accuracy. Dalton’s interception total has climbed in his three years in the league from 13 to 16 to 20. If he can keep the urgency that Hue Jackson likes, while incorporating the accuracy he learned from House, then he could be in for a great season. He’d do well at least to decrease the number of interceptions this year. That might allow him to keep the starting job.