Is anyone changing their view on Dalton?

[walzav29]

Just curious if you're waiting to see more. Which is understandable, or if he's showing you stuff you didn't think he had. I am really impressed. The no INT's for a rookie is amazing to me.

[COB]

He's better than I thought he'd be. I expected the Three Stooges type plays, like where he tries to throw, the ball comes out, bounces off the top of his head, he spins about looking for it, a couple defensive lineman plow him to smithereens diving for the ball.

The absence of those plays is the most surprising thing to me.

[membengal]

Was bullish and am now more bullish

[redsbengalsbucks]

He was one of the QB's I wanted (also liked Mcelroy to start early). He looked the most NFL ready, I think he is proving that with his poise and control of the offense.

Cam Newton has surprised me alot, but he still has a ways to go compared to Daltons command of all the QB's duties.

[derekshank]

Anxious to hear what Pimp has to say. Because this is what I remember him saying prior to the season:

The guy doesn't know the playbook, the system, has had NO PRACTICE TIME. no training camp, no rapport with WR's, TE's, or RB's, has NEVER faced an NFL Defense and came from a TCU program that played it's games against teams like Southern Methodist, UNLV, Wyoming, Air Force, Tennessee Tech, New Mexico, and Colorado State. I DARE YOU to find EVEN ONE player from those schools drafted and playing on an NFL Defense this season. This kid is gonna learn REAL QUICK the difference betweeen the Ravens, Steelers, etc and freakin Tennessee Tech........but hey, hey was "Unflappable" against 1-11 New Mexico....Who was the 1 team New Mexico beat you ask? Why it was 3-9 Wyoming (also on TCU's Schedule)

Prepared to start my ass, NO ROOKIE QB would have been "prepared to start" had there NOT been a lockout, let alone now.

As a Bengals fan I would like to see Dalton succeed, but I won't try to fool myself into thinking he is even remotely "ready" to start.

Nothing fancy Pimp... just one sentence - "I was wrong about him."

That's all I'm asking for.

[HoosierCat]

I don't know if it counts as "changing my view" but I certainly didn't expect Dalton to look anywhere near this good right out of the gate. Maybe by November or December (or next September) yes, but not by week 2. And he'll only get better.

[BengalByTheBay]

I'm both surprised and impressed by the speed of Dalton's development. It's not any one thing really. He just seems to have a pretty good handle on running this offense after only 2 games - both on the road. In spite of myself, I just can't stop comparing him to a veteran Carson Palmer from only last season under similar conditions. I know, arm strength, height, yada, yada, yada. He's not the same prototype QB. At some point I'll turn the page on that, but for now am I the only one who is thinking that - straight up - he's just better than Palmer would be if he was still here?

[skyline]

I've been very impressed so far.

I just hope people don't turn on him quickly when he has a couple of bad games, which he's bound to have against teams like Baltimore and Pitt.

[derekshank]

I just can't stop comparing him to a veteran Carson Palmer from only last season under similar conditions. I know, arm strength, height, yada, yada, yada. He's not the same prototype QB. At some point I'll turn the page on that, but for now am I the only one who is thinking that - straight up - he's just better than Palmer would be if he was still here?

Yeah. It's hard to argue that Dalton is a prototypical QB.

He's not tall enough. He doesn't have a terribly strong arm. He's not that great of an athlete. After-all... he fell to the 2nd round of the draft for a reason.

At the same time... he just seems to have the intangibles you like to see. And unlike Carson Palmer, he just doesn't make the big mistake. And he's only been in the NFL for a matter of weeks.

It's very promising.

[cincyhokie]

Anxious to hear what Pimp has to say. Because this is what I remember him saying prior to the season:

The guy doesn't know the playbook, the system, has had NO PRACTICE TIME. no training camp, no rapport with WR's, TE's, or RB's, has NEVER faced an NFL Defense and came from a TCU program that played it's games against teams like Southern Methodist, UNLV, Wyoming, Air Force, Tennessee Tech, New Mexico, and Colorado State. I DARE YOU to find EVEN ONE player from those schools drafted and playing on an NFL Defense this season. This kid is gonna learn REAL QUICK the difference betweeen the Ravens, Steelers, etc and freakin Tennessee Tech........but hey, hey was "Unflappable" against 1-11 New Mexico....Who was the 1 team New Mexico beat you ask? Why it was 3-9 Wyoming (also on TCU's Schedule)

Prepared to start my ass, NO ROOKIE QB would have been "prepared to start" had there NOT been a lockout, let alone now.

As a Bengals fan I would like to see Dalton succeed, but I won't try to fool myself into thinking he is even remotely "ready" to start.

Nothing fancy Pimp... just one sentence - "I was wrong about him."

That's all I'm asking for.

I'm sure he'll mention something about the weaknesses of the Broncos and the Browns.

[TJJackson]

I liked him before the draft, and felt he had all the intangibles necessary to succeed here in NFL Siberia, but had felt it'd take a few years before he had command of the offense.

So much for that. :-)

He is already a competent quarterback who makes relatively few rookie mistakes and should (hopefully) only continue to improve.

Very, very impressed.

[Kazkal]

I like Flashy QB's but I welcome a QB like Dalton,Brees was short wasn't best athlete and he seems get the job done.

[volcom69]

I like Dalton, and i like what he brings to the team!

Nobody has mentioned how when you see him on the sidelines he is pumping up his o-line and WRs, and did you see in the huddle how he was taking command in there. Thats what i like, he looks like a true leader out there.

[bwillycuse]

if only he could settle down on his over the top throws - he overthrows a lot of open receivers. just take a little off of the bombs and bingo.

[derekshank]

I like Dalton, and i like what he brings to the team!

Nobody has mentioned how when you see him on the sidelines he is pumping up his o-line and WRs, and did you see in the huddle how he was taking command in there. Thats what i like, he looks like a true leader out there.

Yeah. I used to think Palmer's lack of emotion was overstated... but then I watched Andy Dalton slam his helmet down and furiously pace the sidelines because he was so pissed that they didn't finish the comeback drive. It was oddly refreshing to know that the QB I was cheering for cares as much (probably more) than I do.

Is that how it is supposed to be? I had grown accustomed to my QB always having the same expression on his face, win or lose. You know... that face you make when watching CSPAN. Bored.

[volcom69]

if only he could settle down on his over the top throws - he overthrows a lot of open receivers. just take a little off of the bombs and bingo.

I think it will come in time. The more games he plays the better i hope he gets, and the long passes will come with that.

[volcom69]

I like Dalton, and i like what he brings to the team!

Nobody has mentioned how when you see him on the sidelines he is pumping up his o-line and WRs, and did you see in the huddle how he was taking command in there. Thats what i like, he looks like a true leader out there.

Yeah. I used to think Palmer's lack of emotion was overstated... but then I watched Andy Dalton slam his helmet down and furiously pace the sidelines because he was so pissed that they didn't finish the comeback drive. It was oddly refreshing to know that the QB I was cheering for cares as much (probably more) than I do.

Is that how it is supposed to be? I had grown accustomed to my QB always having the same expression on his face, win or lose. You know... that face you make when watching CSPAN. Bored.

His press confrense says it all, i was also impressed with what he said. He says all the right things, and is becoming a true leader on the field with the guys, and only his 2nd game it almost sounds like the future is bright with this guy. Whitworth was even praising the guy for the way he was in the huddle, just sucks he couldnt get that come back, so close!

[Stripes]

I fully expect Dalton to come down to Earth eventually, and probably soon. I think defenses are behind offenses league wide after the lockout and the disparity will lessen soon. That goes for the Bengals defense too.

That's definitely not to say I think Dalton sucks though. I absolutely love his pocket presence. I honestly expected to see him running around wildly, both because of his inexperience and the offensive line's inconsistency. He has just stood in there, sometimes in the face of heavy pressure, and chucked it. Not every throw has been perfect, but he's only had one or two balls that were really in danger of being intercepted. I am very excited about him, even more than I was before week one.

[derekshank]

I fully expect Dalton to come down to Earth eventually, and probably soon. I think defenses are behind offenses league wide after the lockout and the disparity will lessen soon.

That line of thinking flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

Generally the defenses that have the advantage over the offenses early on in training camp and pre-season. Offenses generally take longer to get it together.

[Stripes]

I've never had much faith in "conventional wisdom" honestly. I don't think the insane passing yardage we've seen this year so far can be attributed just to the offensively-advantageous rules or to chance, and the lockout is the standout remaining variable.

[derekshank]

I've never had much faith in "conventional wisdom" honestly. I don't think the insane passing yardage we've seen this year so far can be attributed just to the offensively-advantageous rules or to chance, and the lockout is the standout remaining variable.

Fair enough. I'm just pointing out that going into the season, it was widely accepted that defenses would have the advantage because offenses generally work on timing and it takes longer to gel.

In reality, I don't think the lockout has had that much of an effect... except on teams whose coaches did a poor job of preparing for the season (Kansas City, Seattle, and Minnesota).

And as far as the "insane passing yards" goes... I think it's a bit overstated. Tom Brady and Cam Newton are not representative of the league as a whole. Just go to NFL.com and compare the defenses between 2010 and 2011. The Cardinals, Patriots, Dolphins, and Packers have given up a s**t-ton of yards, and that tends to skew things a bit... but the top 20 defenses yards/game are nearly identical to 2010. So it's not an epidemic.

Hell... even if it was league wide, that doesn't explain why Dalton is in the top 10 in the NFL in passer rating. He's still outperforming the majority of his peers as a rookie.

[HairOnFire]

Yeah. It's hard to argue that Dalton is a prototypical QB.

He's not tall enough. He doesn't have a terribly strong arm. He's not that great of an athlete. After-all... he fell to the 2nd round of the draft for a reason.

At the same time... he just seems to have the intangibles you like to see. And unlike Carson Palmer, he just doesn't make the big mistake. And he's only been in the NFL for a matter of weeks.

It's very promising.

This.

In all things that relate to the head I'm very satisfied with Andy Dalton, and have happily concluded that he's ahead of the curve (pun intended) in almost every way imaginable.

In matters that relate to the arm (stength, accuracy, etc.) lets just say that I still want and need to see more. To be fair, I've seen nothing that makes me think Andy Dalton can't be a successful starting QB in the NFL, but I'm still waiting to see Dalton attempt to throw the very types of passes I worry he can't throw very well.

To the point about defenses eventually catching up to offenses, and Dalton in particular, I'm not seeing it. Rather, I'll point to the Denver game as proof of Dalton catching up to defenses and finally producing enough "chunk plays" in the passing game to slow opposing defenses a bit. Notice has been served to defenses across the NFL. Crowd the box and blitz Andy Dalton at your own risk.

[HoosierCat]

In his Tuesday Morning QB column, Peter King takes 294 words to say, "no."

SOMETHING NICE ABOUT ANDY DALTON. "Can you say something nice about Andy Dalton? Three touchdowns so far, no picks. Has made some beautiful throws and showed a lot of poise. He is also throwing to AJ Green (rookie), Gresham (2nd year) Shipley (2nd year) and Jerome Simpson (first year starting). Granted, it was against the Browns and a banged up Denver team, still, all the talk about Newton and even Carson Palmer and not a single mention of Dalton?''

-- Chris; Cincinnati

There are a lot of worthy events and people I do not mention in Monday Morning Quarterback each week. Look at the letter above yours about Jason Hanson. Should I have mentioned what he did? Of course. If I had the time and the vision to see all aspects of all games, the column would be significantly more thorough, and probably longer.

Here's my situation, Chris: I am on NBC on Sundays during the season. I watch quite a bit of the early games and makes notes on them for my column and for phone calls I want to make after the games, preparing for the Football Night in America show on NBC. So I don't see a lot of the late games, though I see the big plays in them usually. Particularly in a game of low national importance -- the late Cincinnati-Denver game -- I don't focus my attention unless something fairly extraordinary happens, or a major injury happens.

Then, after doing some reporting for NBC and SI, and then some video stuff for SI.com, I get back to my hotel to begin writing about 5,500 words for my Monday column. That begins about 11:15 p.m., usually, and if the Sunday night game is a good one, as it was the past two weeks, I'll watch the end of that. Then I write 'til about 7 a.m. I miss things. In fact, I miss a lot of them. I try not to, but in a column like this one, with one person doing everything from soup to nuts, it's inevitable.

All of that is not an excuse for missing things. It's just the reality of the job I do. I will try to watch some of Dalton this week against the 49ers.

[derekshank]

In his Tuesday Morning QB column, Peter King takes 294 words to say, "no."

Peter King essentially wrote several paragraphs explaining why all of his opinions should be taken with large doses of salt, and more important to our discussion, why he so regularly seems so ignorant about all things Bengal.

He doesn't watch.

[volcom69]

In his Tuesday Morning QB column, Peter King takes 294 words to say, "no."

SOMETHING NICE ABOUT ANDY DALTON. "Can you say something nice about Andy Dalton? Three touchdowns so far, no picks. Has made some beautiful throws and showed a lot of poise. He is also throwing to AJ Green (rookie), Gresham (2nd year) Shipley (2nd year) and Jerome Simpson (first year starting). Granted, it was against the Browns and a banged up Denver team, still, all the talk about Newton and even Carson Palmer and not a single mention of Dalton?''

-- Chris; Cincinnati

There are a lot of worthy events and people I do not mention in Monday Morning Quarterback each week. Look at the letter above yours about Jason Hanson. Should I have mentioned what he did? Of course. If I had the time and the vision to see all aspects of all games, the column would be significantly more thorough, and probably longer.

Here's my situation, Chris: I am on NBC on Sundays during the season. I watch quite a bit of the early games and makes notes on them for my column and for phone calls I want to make after the games, preparing for the Football Night in America show on NBC. So I don't see a lot of the late games, though I see the big plays in them usually. Particularly in a game of low national importance -- the late Cincinnati-Denver game -- I don't focus my attention unless something fairly extraordinary happens, or a major injury happens.

Then, after doing some reporting for NBC and SI, and then some video stuff for SI.com, I get back to my hotel to begin writing about 5,500 words for my Monday column. That begins about 11:15 p.m., usually, and if the Sunday night game is a good one, as it was the past two weeks, I'll watch the end of that. Then I write 'til about 7 a.m. I miss things. In fact, I miss a lot of them. I try not to, but in a column like this one, with one person doing everything from soup to nuts, it's inevitable.

All of that is not an excuse for missing things. It's just the reality of the job I do. I will try to watch some of Dalton this week against the 49ers.

Peter King blows!

He will watch this week agaisnt the 49ers, do me a favor and please dont! I could give a crap about what he thinks. We all know if Dalton dosnt have a great game, he will bash the bengals, and Dalton. The 9ers defense is tough, and could be tough for Andy, but hope he continues to grow each week, and looks even better.