Bengals QB Andy Dalton chats with MMQ

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton took a few minutes to chat with the MMQB's Jenny Vrentas. Some of the topics included Dalton's placement in the 2011 NFL draft (picked ahead of Colin Kaepernick and well behind Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder) and the team's playoff loss to San Diego; but the one thing that stood out was the difference between Jay Gruden and Hue Jackson.

VRENTAS: What’s the biggest difference between playing for Hue Jackson, your new offensive coordinator, versus Jay Gruden, your old one?

DALTON: Their styles. The way they are. Hue is more aggressive, in your face. He lets his point be known, whereas Jay is more laid back. That’s the biggest difference. With Hue and I, as soon as he got the job, we have had a good relationship. There’s a lot of give and take there, a lot of asking what I like. His big thing is about doing everything quick, whether it is the speed of your drop, the way you run routes, whatever it might be. The way his offense is, and the way you practice, it’s about the drop, getting back quickly, and seeing the field as quickly as you can. He has definitely pushed me to be a better player.

VRENTAS: Has Hue’s in-your-face approach rubbed off on you at all?

DALTON: There are times when I speak up a little bit more. I am still me, but in certain situations that go on in games, whether it be an important drive that we’ve got to have, or if things aren’t going the way we don’t want them to, I’ll say something. At that point late in the Ravens game, I was just telling everybody, I have confidence that we are going to go down there and score. And it worked.

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