QB crisis: Cincinnati Bengals contacting Christian Ponder, Ryan Mallett

The Cincinnati Bengals are in panic-mode over quarterback Andy Dalton’s broken thumb.

During the CBS broadcast of the Bengals game against the Steelers in Week 14, quarterback Andy Dalton threw an interception in the red zone. Missing out on points ended up being the least of Dalton’s worries. During the play, while he was attempting to tackle Steelers defender Stephon Tuitt, he broke his thumb.

Shortly after the incident, Dalton was spotted on the sidelines. Later, there was speculation that he would miss the rest of the season.

Backup A.J. McCarron took over quarterbacking duties, performing reasonably well against a porous Steelers secondary. Though he threw for 280 yards, the Bengals are scrambling to add depth the position, reportedly interviewing both Christian Ponder and Ryan Mallett.

Who dey? Christian Ponder was the Minnesota Vikings 2011 first-round draft pick, remaining with the team through 2014. Ryan Mallet was picked up in the third round of the 2011 draft by the New England Patriots and played for the Houston Texans until October 27 when he was released after missing a team flight to the Miami Dolphins game.

On Monday afternoon, Dalton will visit a hand specialist. According to Pro Football Talk, there is a chance Dalton could be back in action after four weeks. That still leaves a void at quarterback for the remainder of the regular season.

Dalton’s injury is a tough blow for a team that had begun to overcome their reputation for collapsing and choking after experiencing success. In the absence of Dalton, the Bengals (10-3) lost to the Steelers by a score of 33-20.