Top Stories of 2013: No. 9, Andy Dalton's record-breaking season

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has done everything possible to remove Carson Palmer from legend. In the beginning, around this time in 2010, Palmer clasped his hands together with a partially drank mug of weakly-brew coffee (because wimps drink weakly-brewed coffee) and said, "Yea, I'm done."

Throwing an entire organization -- who had planned its future with a significant investment -- into disarray, the Bengals finally realized the end was nigh and began to make preparations to find his replacement.

TCU quarterback, Andy Dalton was Jay Gruden's man. Mike Brown said, "I kind of like Ryan Mallet." Marvin Lewis gave him the stink eye and Gruden got his guy. Oh, and there was a trade that gave Cincinnati two starter-quality players. But that story was from another top-ten list from another year.

In three short years, Dalton has already won more games than Palmer did (during his first three seasons). Dalton is headed to his third postseason since joining the NFL three years ago. Palmer had two in seven years. Now Dalton is in the process of wiping out most of Palmer's single-season records.

Against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Dalton broke Palmer's single-season record for most yards passing (4,296) and touchdowns thrown (33). It's just the start. Not all records are gone yet of course. Dalton tied Palmer and Boomer Esiason for the most 300-yard passing games in a season (5).

At the rate that Dalton is proceeding, we figure that he'll erase Carson Palmer from the books. Some things should not have been forgotten will be lost. History will become legend. Legend will become myth.