Andy Dalton or Bust

[ArmyBengal]

I still think they will and should bring in a vet QB, but I don't expect that individual to accomplish much more here than a better option at the backup spot.

I'm good with that as well and the talk of Gradkowski being that guy doesn't bother me that much. Is a he a great option as a starter ??

Probably not, but he presents a far greater option coming off the bench than what we currently have and if he were tagged to start the first few games while they let Dalton see things, I guess I could live with that as well. My thing would be the beginning of our schedule (first 5 games) wouldn't be a bad place for Dalton to get his feet wet. It could go either way.

[membengal]

Fun thread to revisit.

Dalton is at 3166 yards, 20 TDs to 13 INTs, with an 81.6 qb rating.

And the 9 wins.

And a chance at the playoffs.

With only training camp.

For me, an unqualified success in all respects.

And my pessimism about this as a "lost" season from back in July is funny to read in hindsight...

[Spor_tees]

Believe it or not, the main things coming from Dalton's stats that he needs to improve on: accuracy and interceptions. His yards per completion is low too, but he really can't help that. It will always be lower than some other due to the West Coast offensive system. The one thing I saw in Dalton as a flaw was he seemed to get flustered at time when he made a bad throw or an interception. That's just a rookie thing he will eventually grow out of.

I love the leadership he has brought, along with his toughness. Eventually he could be scary good if he is coached up right and the Bengals continue to surround him with talent. I would almost say he could be the next Tom Brady or Drew Brees.

[Stripes]

For me, an unqualified success in all respects.

Definitely. I think Dalton finds himself squarely in the "one of the best rookie quarterbacks in NFL history" discussion. If not for Newton, he'd be an absolute national darling right now.

[derekshank]

The one thing I saw in Dalton as a flaw was he seemed to get flustered at time when he made a bad throw or an interception.

I agree with your earlier comment about needing to continue to improve his accuracy... but flustered? Really? I don't see this at all. In fact, the two main praises I hear for Dalton is how calm he is in the pocket (Billick said he may be "too calm"), and that he has a short memory.

Look at the last Ravens game. He threw back-to-back interceptions leading to back-to-back Ravens TDs, putting the Bengals down 31-14. Easy to get "flustered" in that situation, right? Instead... he plays the rest of the 4th quarter going 11-16, 188 yards and a TD (it would have been even better if the Gresham TD would have stood up).

He's a rookie, and has led multiple 4th quarter comebacks. I'm not sure what you're seeing that you think is him getting flustered.

[ArmyBengal]

Yes, fun to revisit some of the old thoughts and with that in mind, I am glad things worked out the way they did and still stand by my comments throughout this thread.

In regards to the "flustered" comment, I don't think i've heard a single person (fan, analyst, etc.) use that word when describing Dalton. I've heard "good short term memory", "poise", and "leader" but not flustered.

[Spor_tees]

The one thing I saw in Dalton as a flaw was he seemed to get flustered at time when he made a bad throw or an interception.

I agree with your earlier comment about needing to continue to improve his accuracy... but flustered? Really? I don't see this at all. In fact, the two main praises I hear for Dalton is how calm he is in the pocket (Billick said he may be "too calm"), and that he has a short memory.

Look at the last Ravens game. He threw back-to-back interceptions leading to back-to-back Ravens TDs, putting the Bengals down 31-14. Easy to get "flustered" in that situation, right? Instead... he plays the rest of the 4th quarter going 11-16, 188 yards and a TD (it would have been even better if the Gresham TD would have stood up).

He's a rookie, and has led multiple 4th quarter comebacks. I'm not sure what you're seeing that you think is him getting flustered.

That's just it, I don't think he throws that second interception if he isn't flustered a bit. Dalton seems like a guy right now that needs a second to calm down on the sidelines before he gets back in the groove. Like I said, this is a rookie thing he will hopefully grow out of.

[derekshank]

I don't think he throws that second interception if he isn't flustered a bit.

You are literally the only person I've ever heard say this about Dalton.

An interception isn't a sign of being flustered. When guys get flustered, they tend to go into a shell and are afraid to make a mistake (see Mark Sanchez).

Andy Dalton may have made a poor decision with the interception (it was also just an amazing play by Webb), but he has shown himself to be unrattleable (if that is a word). His teammates and coaches do nothing but praise him for this attribute.

Again, I'm not sure what you're seeing... but you're alone.

[Spor_tees]

I don't think he throws that second interception if he isn't flustered a bit.

You are literally the only person I've ever heard say this about Dalton.

An interception isn't a sign of being flustered. When guys get flustered, they tend to go into a shell and are afraid to make a mistake (see Mark Sanchez).

Andy Dalton may have made a poor decision with the interception (it was also just an amazing play by Webb), but he has shown himself to be unrattleable (if that is a word). His teammates and coaches do nothing but praise him for this attribute.

Again, I'm not sure what you're seeing... but you're alone.

I think you and I have a different term in the idea of flustered. When I say flustered, I am saying that he knows he can do better and "over-tries" at times leading to bad results. My definition isn't the flustered where a guy gets so aggravated he doesn't want to talk to anyone and basically becomes a ticking time bomb on the field. I guess instead of flustered I should have just said "over-tries" in the first place.

I do agree Dalton has great poise when it comes to pressure, but like I said above, he tends to put too much weight on his own shoulders and over tries at times leading to mistakes. That's a rookie thing, coming from a guy that was a HUGE part of TCU's offense in college. Eventually he will learn he doesn't have to do it all himself, especially after he makes a mistake himself. I hope that clears things up a little.

[derekshank]

My definition isn't the flustered where a guy gets so aggravated he doesn't want to talk to anyone and basically becomes a ticking time bomb on the field.

I've not seen this character trait either. I've never seen him sitting on the bench by himself sulking. I've seen passion from him, and I've seen him angry... but he's always talking to his teammates and coaches.

And by the way... that anger is a good thing. Peyton Manning looks pissed every time a drive ends without a TD. I like that Andy Dalton doesn't behave passionless like Carson Palmer did. It seemed like he didn't care if the team won or not.

So I hope you're wrong about this being a rookie attribute. I hope Dalton never grows out of it. Because it's the same thing that drives him to get better.