Bengals Quarterback Andy Dalton Showed Us A Lot Against Denver
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 19, 2011 10:36 AM EDT
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Cincinnati's second half started poorly. Broncos linebacker Joe Mays threaded between offensive lineman, finding Cedric Benson through ever obstacle. On a run to the right to start the second half, Mays tackled Benson high for a two-yard loss. The following screen pass fooled no one, especially Mays who likely gave Benson enough nightmare on the return flight from Denver Sunday night to last through Halloween. No, Cedric. The turbulence on the flight isn't Mays perched on the plane's wings, waiting for you.
A five-yard dump-off pass on third-and-15 by Andy Dalton ended the team's second half possession. To compound the problem, Nate Clements was badly beaten on an Eric Decker swim-like move that gave the receiver an advantage over the middle, where no defenders protected the middle of the field. Decker hauled in the pass and scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass to give Denver the 17-3 lead. At this point we're back to our safe argument -- it's a rebuilding team and we're expecting games like this. Obviously the defense was the biggest let-down on Sunday, but Cincinnati's offense just seemed lifeless.
Now if this were the 2010 Cincinnati Bengals, few of us would have expected anything more than brooding wide receivers and a quarterback that hides his hands in his warmer while hiding his face, observing the field that passes as he takes the isolationist road to the sidelines. Fortunately for all of us, this isn't the 2010 Cincinnati Bengals. And instead of a quarterback that acts more martyr than hero, the Bengals have a rookie quarterback that worked the bench, talking up his receivers, giving high-fives and clapping his hands with encouragement.
A cheerleader is just one of his jobs. Because apparently when he means something, he's going to follow through on it. When the Bengals offense re-took the field with just under 11 minutes left in the second half, Andy Dalton completed two passes of over 25 yards to A.J. Green before the drive stalled, forcing the team to settle for a 37-yard field goal. Back to the sidelines and back to firing his guys up.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, Andy Dalton led a six-play drive for 72 yards that was highlighted with a 34-yard Jerome Simpson reception, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell in the middle of the endzone. Now the Bengals are only down by five points and Dalton is leading this Bengals squad with spirit and performance; in the past it was always one or the other and sometimes none at all.
With 13:30 left in the fourth quarter, Broncos rookie Von Miller sprinted off the edge to drop Andy Dalton for a 13-yard loss on a quarterback sacks. Fine. Dalton responds with an 84-yard completion to Jerome Simpson, which is the franchise record for longest reception without scoring a touchdown. A dink pass later and Dalton fires a pass to his left, somewhat high, to A.J. Green just beyond the front pylon. Green jumps, brings his right foot down and before his momentum is forced out, Green tips his left toe inbounds.
Unfortunately, Cincinnati would end up losing the game by two points, largely thanks to a 52-yard touchdown reception by receiver Eric Decker, who broke free once Crocker leveled cornerback Nate Clements, taking them both out of the play.
Even though there's plenty to working on (like third down situations), Andy Dalton showed us a lot Sunday. When the team was down in the first half, showing little energy and coming out flat, he took it upon himself to lead the Bengals into one of the more memorable second-half performances by a quarterback since Carson Palmer's 27-26 win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2004 (10 of 12 passes for 200 yards passing and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter).
We're only talking about a quarterback with six quarters of NFL experience. Just imagine how much further he could grow at the rate he's growing. And we're not talking about just his performance; his leadership qualities began to really show.
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Double Whammy!
Palmer’s gone and his replacement is way better than him!
What do you do when there's no way out? Find a way to get deeper in it.
by jimbasa on Sep 19, 2011 10:43 AM EDT via iPhone app reply actions
Rocket or Riffle
Are we going to call him the Red Rocket or the Red Riffle? My vote is for Rocket. I like what I’ve seen and it’s only Denver but I like his resiliency.
I'm not high on nicknames
So I’ll just call him Dalton.
If a nickname is necessary, I prefer plain old “Red.”
by MrMcLargeHuge on Sep 19, 2011 10:59 AM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Flatus McHugefart
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by supergrover on Sep 19, 2011 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions
COME ON MAN
havent you been reading these posts at all???
His official CinciJungle name is “GINGERBALLS”
by ticalcaldwell on Sep 19, 2011 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Simple Math:
Team – 9 – 5 = Team +14. Weird.
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pipe dream...
Okay, I know this will not happen, BUT if Mike Brown wanted to improve fan relations, he would go out and sign a few more players and trade Palmer. Dalton showed that he can perform in the NFL yesterday. The Bengals have enough talent that a few pieces here and there combined with their super weak schedule could produce a surprising season. I know this won’t happen though…
Brown has never uttered
" I Want to do whatever it takes to provide every tool neccesary to allow my team to win."
Including letting go of personal stance about Palmer to secure a solid Guard, a dominating DT, and or some draft picks for next year.
Sure. Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson
by UpStateMike on Sep 19, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
If dalton keeps playing like this
Old mikey just might move carson before the trade deadline….
And maybe bring in some more help for Dalton or the D (either would help Dalton)
Heres my Question Why is Scott not getting more carries (he did better per carry vs the broncos than Benson) And Why are we not using are 3rd Down machine Leonard???? to you know convert 3rd downs
by Bengalsfan024 on Sep 19, 2011 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
no dont give scott the ball
he didnt look that good on carries and third down is reserved for leonard who can sniff out the first down and get to it. I think we are going to get a back this year who will replace scott.
by bengalsfanforlife on Sep 19, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
That is why I called it a pipe dream...
We really are only a half dozen player upgrades away from being a pretty formidable team. The only way MB makes the moves that we need is if he thinks he can sell tickets. Maybe, just maybe, when he looks out in the stands on Sunday and sees that the stands are only 60 or 70% full, he will realize that winning is the only way to bring the fans back (I’m not holding my breath though). It isn’t freakin’ rocket science; too bad MB is a shitty business man and has a shitty football mind.
I hear you
I guess I’m still not happy with some of the offseason moves, including Palmer for reasons we have gone over a thousand times. But we did have the chance to get some really, really good RB talent in free agency, but it wasn’t done. We did pass on many quality guards and tackles only to end up going for table scraps.
My point is if Mike Brown wanted to, he could still make some moves to trade palmer soon, that could actually translate into more wins THIS SEASON. He probably won’t, but he could set aside his stubborn ways if he really actually cared about winning. In fact, the irritating part of this is about his “rep”. He’s not going cave in for player demands? Hey Brown, you also have some other reps that precedes you: You are notoriously frugal and care about the business end more than the team’s record and success. You think of these players as part of your product instead of family. Show them you actually care.
To be fair, MB isn’t the devil, but there are actions that hurt this team and prevent success.
Sure. Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson
by UpStateMike on Sep 19, 2011 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I alreday like him way more then I ever liked Palmer...I never thought Palmer had enough fight in him and I was right. Maybe due to his silverspoon upbringing.
Anyway, once they let Dalton play Quarterback and took the leash off him in the second half the offense took off. They need to start off next week with him throwing those 20 yard slants, then the middle will open up for Cedric. Also, is it just me or did we draft the bad USC linebackers, Rivers has never been good and Mauluga looks like he ate Peko, way to fat and slow, and he looks lost on every play. This defense has been sub par this year. Andre Smith got pushed back on every running play, I’m ready to call bust there as well. Also kick the damn field goal Marvin, twice we could have won it.
Growing Pains Rey is readjusting to the middle
He has the support of his teammates. He did miss a few tackles this week look for him to bounce back next week
by Bengalsfan024 on Sep 19, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
I said it in another thread but I'm a believer in Dalton now.
2011 Year of the Red Rifle
by Throw the ball on Sep 19, 2011 11:14 AM EDT reply actions
Biggest thing with Dalton
Almost 0 offensive penalties..
0 Offensive Turnovers…
Turned into a Close football game where our QB wasnt spotting the opponents points
by Bengalsfan024 on Sep 19, 2011 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Great poise so far
makes Palmer seem almost petulant
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by supergrover on Sep 19, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm encouraged but still pretty skeptical about this year
We won in Cleveland mainly because the Browns completely fell asleep. And in Denver they were missing probably their 3 best defensive players and had only 2 wide receivers active. That’s the kind of game you really need to win.
Anyway, I know the team will improve but I think we’ve looked better than we are at this point. There are still tons of reasons to get excited (Simpson and Green playing well, Dalton actually reading the defense, pressure from the D-line, etc) so this isn’t about me being a Debbie Downer…
Dalton
Like what I see so far, Clements sucked ass yesterday major let down by Defense. I already like Offense better than last yr, as you can see we dont need Ocho CInco, That catch Green made was unreal cant rememeber last time I saw Chad make catch like that
Dalton and second halves
We kept wondering how Dalton would do when he finally got to play a full game—in the preseason and the first game, he obviously only played in the first halves. We finally got our answer.
I hesitate to say this, but, the second half reminded me of Brat’s playcalling, and I actually mean that in a good way. Lots of passes to WRs, not many high-percentage passes to TEs or RBs. Dalton is clearly progressing enough that he doesn’t need to constantly dink and dunk, but I hope that we’ll spread the ball around, position-wise.
And let’s not forget AJ Green—his first 100+ game!
by Big Sky Bengal on Sep 19, 2011 11:49 AM EDT reply actions
Yes...Our D needs help
Safety….dont even get me started on that play with Crocker……
LB…how many missed tackles can we have….
CBs….Nate….ur killing me….Decker ate your lunch…..
D line……need to stop the run…..
*D line
need to stop the run the whole game….not just in the fourth quarter….ALTHOUGH…they did shut it down later in the game….but thats neither here nor there……..
by ticalcaldwell on Sep 19, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
"Red" Zone
Maybe it’s just the fact that I was used to Palmer’s consistent struggles in the redzone, but the fact that Daltons two TDs came from inside the 20 really felt good! The Palmer-“led” Bengals never seemed to succesfully throw the TD in the red zone.
If it continues I vote for a new Dalton nick-name… “Red” Zone!
Why does Dalton have to have a nickname?
Can’t we just call him Andy or Dalton or Andy Dalton…maybe even just #14? I’m not really a fan of forcing a nickname onto him.
"The Lobster!"
have some fun!
Sure. Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson
by UpStateMike on Sep 19, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
We had joy
we had fun
Andy Dalton’s nickname’s “Sun”
A Ongreed the Deserving
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that would have been a good one for Dan Lefevour
"When you see it open up and all you can see is the end zone, it’s hard to describe how relieving it feels." -Ced Benson
by ItsAlwaysSunnyInDayton on Sep 19, 2011 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I was hoping to see this from Dalton in December
not in September. I’m amazed with what I saw yesterday. He’s proved skeptics like me wrong about his readiness to play in the NFL. Of course these first two games weren’t against the better teams, but it was still the NFL. All the other problems I’ve been dreading with this team are there. Secondary is not stopping anyone. Oline still is inconsistent and Dalton is getting hit too much. Not much of a run game.
Still don’t expect more than 4 wins but Dalton showed he can deliver upsets, so who knows maybe 1 or 2 more.
Did not see the game so looking for some eyes...
…were any of these passes long ones or were they short and Simpson or whomever got past the coverage? Just curious about the whole “arm strength” thing and whether or not he has been stretching the field vertically at all.
He did throw some downfield...
but most of his deep throws weren’t really very accurate. He had two or three that he really through deep and they were overthrown. The 80 yarder to simpson was a slant that was about 20 yard bullet and Simpson just ran straight through and almost outran the entire defense. Arm strength doesn’t seem to be a problem, but he might need to work on deep ball accuracy. Maybe he gets inaccurate because he has to put so much into the throw.
deep ball is all about timing
with no OTA’s timing will come, The balls have been right on line, just a fraction to soon and too far -have to account for the bump and run on the receiver
by carolinabengal on Sep 19, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
yea exactly
I’m not saying they WON’T be there later on, but for now he’s overthrowing it- either because of inaccuracy or just not gettign the timing right with recievers- can’t tell yet.
anyone know what we are going to take in the draft
db cause right now we get burnt on passes.
g livings nuff said
T? is andre a bust yet?
rb ced benson getting older benard not good enough to be second back(would love to get issah pead.
de need someone on other side especially when dunlap gets some starts
by bengalsfanforlife on Sep 19, 2011 1:22 PM EDT reply actions
Crazy to talk about drafts in September
But I’ll take the bait.
Depends upon our draft position!
were good on de
with dunlap and mj were going to be pretty dominant there going forward
In the second half he did attempt to
throw some +20 and +30 yard balls. What was obvious is that AJ Green and Simpson and Gresham are playmakers that can carry the team.
When you have playmakers what do you do?
Give them the ball.
A Good Loss
I won’t use that phrase often but I’ll use it here. This was a good loss. I am usually surly after a Bengals loss but this Bengals team showed a lot of heart and Dalton looked like a poised veteran. I walked away from my plate of devoured buffalo wings thinking – we are going to be okay. We might not light-up the league this season but we will be competitive week-in and week-out. And, the future, 2012 and beyond, looks promising. Green, Dalton, Gresham, Shipley (hope he’s okay), Simpson… wow!
I was a little disappointed in the offensive line this week, though. When they were needed most they crumbled. The fourth down play and the sack on the last drive immediately come to mind. We need more consistency from that line in clutch situations. This is crucial in Dalton’s development as a rookie.
don't forget
all of the short yardage 3rd down situations that they couldn’t get the push. You gotta figure if they had made a few of those they would have made the call to run it on 4th and one instead of the naked bootleg to the right. Sad to say that naked bootleg right is exactly the “playcall” I made right before they did it. Didn’t work out haha. If it had I would’ve looked so good though!
I was for the bootleg call too...
…. but it would’ve been nice if one of the two receivers on that side had stuck around to block the outside linebacker that came sailing in untouched. Even a decent brush block might have given Dalton enough time to actually throw the ball.
I'm impressed by Gruden too
Because he saw this in Dalton from the beginning.
Follow me on Twitter @BonnieBengal
Bonnie, I like Gruden way better than Brat but.....
the play he called on that 4th down was a tricky CFL minor league piece of hackery. Tha crap will not carry over to the NFL. These plaeyr are much better and smarter than those bush leaguers. That play was much too important for horseshi* like that. We needed a long yard for God’s sake. There are a dozen plays in the playbook that are simpler and obviously more effective thatr the one he called. He needs to stay focused on the creativity he has shown but he just got too cute with that play and cute does not cut it at this level. Frankly, because of that one play where the FG was long but makeable and would have given us the first lead on the game with minutes left. I actually blame ML and Gruden for the loss. ML for not going for the FG and Gruden for that bush league play.
"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"
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