Bengals fans should be rooting for Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton is a lovable, generous, and harmless human being. Sure, he wasn’t a QB that struck fear in the opposition’s hearts, but the two may be related.

Bengals fans were very divided on Dalton, which was appropriate considering his play. He was good at going quickly through his options when he had protection and the defense didn’t throw surprised at him. The problem was, his play declined when he was faced with literal or metaphorical pressure. If he couldn’t get the ball out under three seconds, he didn’t have the best ability to create on the move or improvise. That simply doesn’t get you very far in today’s NFL.

Dalton, of course, was upset when he was benched last year on his birthday and just three hours before the trade deadline. Yes, the Bengals were good to him, giving him what was considered a preposterous and unjustified near-$100 million extension in 2014. Plus, they never really brought in a challenger for his job until (don’t laugh) they drafted Ryan Finley in 2019.

But he was active in the community in Cincinnati and clearly enjoyed living there. I imagine he still has feelings for the city and would’ve liked to retire there. Now he gets his “how you like me now moment,” and Bengals fans should give it to him.

We talk about Dalton’s homecoming with Dallas Cowboys insider Paul Catalina in the video below:

You can also listen on iTunes or using the player below:

Look, the Bengals (2-9-1) don’t play in the AFC North this year. They play in the AFC Tank, along with the New York Jets (0-12), Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11), Los Angeles Chargers (3-9), Denver Broncos (4-8), and Houston Texans (4-8).

Currently, the Jets and Jaguars are the only two in the running to “win” the AFCT. But the Bengals are in running with the Chargers, Broncos, and Texans to finish second or third. Normally, fans wouldn’t be so worried about securing a top-three pick, but with Joe Burrow badly needing protection and Penei Sewell unlikely to last very long, it’s important to some that Cincinnati keeps or improves its current Draft position.

Whether you’re rooting for the team to tank or not, the outcome of the game doesn’t mean much. So why not let Dalton bask in the glory of showing Zac Taylor he did him wrong? After all, that’s becoming a theme with Bengals players. Carlos Dunlap was the one that escaped, but it’s not far-fetched to think A.J. Green and others will follow.

So, you tell us.