Bengals at Their Best When Andy Dalton Is at His Best
By Ryan Ratty
@RyanRattyNFL
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
For the past few seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals have had the talent to make it deep in the playoffs. However, the one position where they lack top-tier talent is the all-important quarterback. Andy Dalton is one of the most maligned quarterbacks in the NFL. When he is on his game, Dalton and the Bengals are a hard team to stop, but when Dalton misses open passes and gives the ball away, the Bengals are beatable.
When the San Diego Chargers played in Cincinnati last year in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Chargers made Dalton uncomfortable, and that was ultimately the difference in that game. It should also be said that the Bengals were 8-0 at home entering that game. Today against the Houston Texans, the Bengals saw how the game can change when Dalton throws ill-advised throws. The Bengals were coasting in the third quarterback, but Johnathan Joseph brought back a Dalton interception for a touchdown. Even though the Texans would score 10 unanswered points late in the third quarter, the Bengals were able to come out of this game with a victory.
Despite the turnover, Dalton finished the day with a pretty good statline. Besides the turnover, Dalton completed 25 passes out of 35 attempts for 233 yards and a touchdown. Going forward, the Bengals will need the better version of Dalton. With A.J. Green now healthy to pair with an emerging Mohammed Sanu, the Bengals seem to be peaking at the right time. If Dalton plays his best football, the Bengals have the horses to compete with the best teams in the AFC.
Ryan Ratty is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanRattyNFL or add him to your network on Google.
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