:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/4277886/127882822.jpg)
Longtime Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason recently spoke about rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and his progress so far in his first year at the helm of the Bengals offense. Boomer said,
"He is so far ahead of me when I was at that age it is not funny. The fourth quarter of that Buffalo game (where the Bengals rallied back for a 23-20 win) told me how mentally he is so far ahead. The great thing about this team is that the malcontents are no longer there. When we were at our best (from 1988-90) was when we were a close team. I have the sense that this is a close team. The schedule gets tougher though over the next five or six games where we will find out a lot more about them."
Considering that Esiason has been one of the most successful quarterbacks in Bengals history, that is high praise indeed. Dalton has been a winner at every level of the game and his success has carried on to the NFL. Between Dalton, A.J. Green, and the young defense the Bengals have the potential to be successful for a long time.