Power ranking all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks

24. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Dalton’s play is the very epitome of what plagues the Bengals at this point in their franchise arc. He’s certainly a competent NFL quarterback, but he lacks the upside to help Cincinnati punch above their weight. He’s the very definition of a signal caller that’s good enough to help a coach keep his job but not good enough to help him reach the promised land.

Don’t be surprised if this is both Dalton and Marvin Lewis’ last season in prominent roles for the Bengals. The quarterback’s strength relies almost completely in his ability to deliver the ball accurately and on-time. If his timing is disrupted, really bad things happen to the Bengals’ offense.

As such, there are days when he really looks like a Pro Bowler. When the offensive line protects him, he can deliver a pretty ball to players like A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. When pressure arrives, his accuracy can leave him pretty quickly. That’s exactly why Dalton has struggled to help this team win big games over the years.

If the Bengals are going to exceed expectations in 2018, Dalton has to get back to his form from several years ago. That will require him finding a way to take more shots down the field. If he can’t, he’s going to struggle to be anything more than an average starting quarterback. That might be enough to get Cincinnati into the postseason, but Dalton isn’t good enough to take the Bengals anywhere meaningful.