Dr. Dalton and Mr. Andy
I’ve always had a soft spot for Andy Dalton. Don’t know why, maybe because I have a soft spot for the Bengals in general. But I’ve always liked Dalton, and I always hated that it seems like no one noticed when he’s actually a good QB and everyone notices when he sucks. It doesn’t help that he tends to suck in bigger games against better teams. Dalton is average. He’s not as bad as he was on Thursday night, and he’s not as good as he looks when things work well. He seems very reliant on the pressure he’s under behind center. Honestly he kind of reminds me of the way Joe Flacco looked during the regular season in his first few years, and like Eli too in a way. He’s inconsistent. He’s just good enough that you don’t want to get rid of him because QBs are hard to just find, but he’s not quite good enough to warrant banking everything on. He’s that awkward middle ground. The Bengals paid him this offseason, clearly going with the hope that he’d improve and banking their immediate future on him. This season feels like more of the same. The once frontrunners of the AFC have been terrible since the bye week and now the Browns and Steelers are looking to be in contention for the AFC North, especially with the injuries Baltimore is taking.
I root for Dalton when I see him, and I’d love to see him put this game behind him, but man, that was a bad, bad game.
Pannel six had me dying!
If anything, Dalton’s the bizarro Eli and bizarro Flacco. He’s great in most regular season games, unlike the two of them. But when those bright lights really start to shine in the postseason and in tough games, where Eli and Flacco usually seem to shine brightest and win, Dalton melts down and collapses.
I also still think that a huge part of his success has had to do with AJ Green being a godsend. Look at his averages in the five games since Green reaggravated his injury after the New England game: 58.1% completion percentage, 196 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Those are not the numbers of someone you pay $115 million to, especially considering one of those games – and two of those picks – came against a Jaguars team there was no excuse not to massacre. And as I’ve said before, Dalton can’t blame his surrounding cast: Giovanni Bernard was healthy for most of those games, and he’s as dynamic a dual-threat as there is in the league right now. Sanu and Jones aren’t studs like Green, but good. Gresham isn’t Gronk or Graham, but he’s a very serviceable security blanket at TE. His line’s protecting him too, he’s only been sacked two more times than Peyton, three fewer than Tom, as much as Brees, hell, you know how we’ve all been hyping up Dallas’ OL? They’ve given up six more sacks on Romo than Cincy’s given up on Dalton, in spite of Tony missing a game. All the talent is around him, but without that amazing talent that can bring down the ball in triple-coverage, he’s struggling.
Jones is out for the year, so he’s had Sanu and Gresh. That’s about we’ve got for legit receivers. That is why we had to sign Greg Little.
…who negated his one garbage time catch for 8 yards with an idiotic personal foul penalty earlier in the game. “Someone’s gotta pay”, eh stone hands? Looks like your lone grab was too Little, too Late! HA!
Now and forever, BROWNS.
I had a higher gpa in high school than Daltons passer rating
“With me, you’d rather start Mohamed Sanu at QB just to see if it’s any better.”
You know it’s sad but true. 🙁
/Laugh to keep from crying
I’d laugh more if this wasn’t so true. So painfully, painfully true.
Sad but true. Last season’s playoff game was a good showcase of this stupid talent of his. It’s not just him, either–it’s something that tends to happen to the whole organization under big-game circumstances since the heyday of Boomer Esiason ended. With every team obliged to take a Thursday night, Sunday night, and Monday night game, I can count on at least three losses every year.
That said, I’ll still take Scut Farkas over Akili Smith.
I like Andy Dalton, especially when runs into my Texans in the regular season & playoffs
For some reason my brain gave Primetime Dalton a cockney accent, and it’s amazing.
I just noticed that he’s wearing his jersey backwards. Brilliant.
I’m so glad somebody noticed I did that
I also saw he’s drinking Glue, which is special. This may be your best solo-comic since “Here Comes the Eli Train”. I still chuckle over that one.
Still less creepy than the damn Rob Lowe Directv commercials.
Can’t wait to see what the Don’t Care Bear does tomorrow…
I’m still waiting on an Browns comic with an optimistic point of view looks like. Hell, I’ve never seen what an optimistic Browns fan looks like
I’m just continuing to imagine that the NY Jets accidentally got sent the wrong uniforms from the big laundry place for the NFL, and went to Chicago instead of the Bears. And then walked out on the field.
Because there wasn’t enough booze in my house last night to drown out that game.
I have been calling him “The Poor Man’s Alex Smith” and if that seems mean, well, that’s just who Dalton is. I feel like he makes the mistakes of a high risk/reward QB, but doesn’t make any of the spectacular plays to offset the mistakes.
As a Bengals fan, I have been tortured by Primetime Dalton several times, but honestly after Thursday night I just feel bad for him. I think he is a legitimately good dude and he’s just in over his head.
Also for the record, his contract is really only guaranteed for 2 years, the last 4 or 5 are a team option, so it’s NOT the concrete shoes contract it seems on the surface.
My Bengals fan friend likes to call him Randy when he plays in big games and fails