Andy Dalton morphing into Aaron Rodgers
The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs in each of the first four years of Andy Dalton’s career. Each of those seasons have ended in the Wild Card round, with Dalton struggling and the Bengals singing the same sad song.
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In 2015, things might be radically different. Dalton, who has long been viewed as a game-manager and a quarterback who is good but not great, is coming of age. Through the first three games of the National Football League season, Dalton threw for eight touchdowns against one interception, leading Cincinnati to a 3-0 record. The Bengals have been dynamic offensively, scoring at least 24 points in each game with a cast of A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill and Tyler Eifert around Dalton.
On Sunday, Dalton once again has come out red-hot. Playing a secondary featuring Eric Berry, Ron Parker, Sean Smith and Marcus Peters, Dalton has torched the Kansas City Chiefs on 8-of-8 passing for 122 yards and a touchdown. Dalton has been finding Green early and often, who caught 10 passes for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Baltimore Ravens.
If Dalton can continue to play at this level, the Bengals become an immediate Super Bowl contender. Dalton has been the thing most holding Cincinnati back and suddenly looks like an invaluable player. Cincinnati has been without a playoff win since 1991, something that might be changing after 24 years.
The Bengals also have the benefit of playing in a weak division. Cincinnati has already seen the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Ben Roethlisberger for 4-6 weeks, while the Baltimore Ravens are 1-3 and clearly struggling offensively. The Ravens also lost Steve Smith for at least the next week, with the veteran suffering from back problems.
Cincinnati has long been looked at as a fake contender. If Dalton sustains his play, this could be a special season in the Queen City.