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5 reasons Andy Dalton shouldn’t rush back

By Rucker Haringey

Dec 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 33-20. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 33-20. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi
Nov 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi /

Next week’s matchup: at home against San Francisco

Next week’s opponent for the Bengals isn’t exactly a Super Bowl contender. The 49ers already have nine losses and will show up in Ohio with little or nothing left to play for. They also plan on starting Blaine Gabbert at quarterback in the game. All of these factors make next week’s game infinitely winnable even without Dalton at the helm.

If there was ever a game where you could feel good about starting your backup QB, at home to the 49ers would be it. They have largely been a mess this year and had to bench their previous franchise QB, Colin Kaepernick due to his poor play. Their offense has really struggled to score points consistently as a result.

As such, the Bengals offense probably doesn’t need to light up the score board to win this one. They can focus on running the ball and providing McCarron with simple throws instead. This will help ease the backup quarterback into the limelight with the best chance of success. It’s the best-case scenario for the Bengals if they have to play without Dalton.

Of course, this is the NFL so there’s always a risk you can lose a game no matter who you play. It’s about playing the odds though, and the Bengals would enter this game as a slight favorite even without their ginger leader. That’s a gamble they should take to help their franchise QB get healthy. After all, if you can’t rest Dalton when you’re playing the 49ers at home when could you rest him?

Next: Evaluating AJ McCarron will be helpful

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