Cincinnati Bengals: In Defense of Andy Dalton

There are few NFL players more polarizing than Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. The numbers impress and the regular season wins come consistently, but Dalton in the postseason is like the character in a horror film that, “Wants to check what that noise is.”

Yes, they’re brave, but death is inevitable for those curious characters. Just as defeat has been inevitable for Dalton and the Bengals in the postseason.

In defense of Dalton, it’d be shortsighted to give up so quickly.

Through four seasons, Dalton has amassed 14,758 passing yards and 99 touchdowns to 66 interceptions. He’s also led the Bengals to four consecutive postseason appearances.

Unfortunately, Dalton made NFL history with yet another loss in the 2o14 F< L,aykffs.

Andy Dalton is now the first QB to start his playoff career 0-4 since Y.A. Tittle in 1963. pic.twitter.com/ezksdQpslk
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 4, 2015

The good news: Y.A. Tittle ended up making the Hall of Fame.

This isn’t to say that Dalton is the next Tittle. What must be said, however, is that Dalton is doing what only a select few quarterbacks in the NFL do: consistently getting his team into the playoffs.

In 2014, Dalton became the first quarterback in Bengals history to reach the playoffs in four straight seasons.

Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason both won MVP and led the Bengals to respective Super Bowl appearances. Greg Cook had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all-time before injuries ended what could’ve been a legendary career.

None of those players have helped Cincinnati win with the consistency of Dalton’s tenure.

Jan 25, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Team Carter quarterback Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals (14) throws a pass against Team Irvin in the 2015 Pro Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, four postseason appearances and zero wins pale in comparison to a pair of Super Bowl appearances. Truthfully, four postseason appearances mean close to nothing when opening round losses are all that they result in.

Here’s the thing: this isn’t Dalton’s burden to independently bear.

Dalton may be 0-4 in the playoffs, but head coach Marvin Lewis is 0-6. That’s happened over a 12-year tenure with the Bengals that’s seen Dalton, Jon Kitna and Carson Palmer start full-time.

At what point does a team stop blaming the quarterback and start realizing that it’s bigger than who’s under center?

12 years in, Marvin Lewis still hasn’t won a playoff game. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

I won’t try to tell you that Lewis should lose his job, nor will I slap him with 100 percent of the blame. What must be acknowledged is that Cincinnati has underachieved throughout Lewis’ tenure as head coach.

The man under center hasn’t been able to change that in any of Lewis’ 12 seasons.

In 2015, Bengals will boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. A.J. Green is a superstar, and both Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones are healthy again, which should make for one of the most dominant receiving corps in the league.

For depth, Mohamed Sanu is as gifted a third receiver as you’ll find in the AFC and Tyler Kroft has potential as a backup tight end.

As for the running backs, Gio Bernard is a dangerous pass-catcher out of the backfield and Jeremy Hill had an incredible rookie season. Paired with a surplus of depth along the offensive line, Cincinnati should run the ball efficiently.

Through and through, Cincinnati’s offense should be one of the Top 5 in the NFL.

Dec 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) and Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Defensively, the Bengals have an excellent combination of pass defenders in defensive tackle Geno Atkins and cornerback Leon Hall. They’ve also reloaded the defensive line and drafted Darqueze Dennard to be the future at cornerback.

You won’t hear much about them, but George Iloka and Reggie Nelson form one of the best safety tandems in the NFL.

With such a high level of talent on both ends of the ball, Dalton and Lewis should have the Bengals looking like a Super Bowl contender. Neither are alone in facing the blame, and neither should get off scathe-free if Cincinnati fails to live up to that potential.

Failing to do so shouldn’t guarantee Dalton losing his job.

Dalton is facing mountains of pressure, but he’s deserving of the benefit of the doubt. The Bengals were without Eifert, Green, Jermaine Gresham and Marvin Jones—Cincinnati’s Top 4 receiving options—in the playoffs last year, and Dalton played better than the numbers show in that game.

Perhaps he has turned a corner.

Cincinnati’s offense should be explosive in 2015. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Unless Dalton has a career-altering meltdown in 2015, his spot as the franchise quarterback should not be in jeopardy. That’s partially because he’s led Cincinnati to four postseason appearances in four seasons.

For perspective, Cincinnati made four postseason appearances between 1983 and 2010—the year before Dalton was drafted.

The other reason is the harsh reality that, unless the Bengals truly fall apart and end up with the top pick, there really isn’t anywhere else to turn. The roster is too explosive to not be in the postseason conversation, and Dalton is too good to not help them along the way.

Dalton is already one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Bengals history. At 27 years old, he deserves the chance to fully develop.

As hard as it is to believe in Dalton, don’t lose faith. Not yet.

Next: Which Cincinnati Bengals players are under the most pressure in 2015?

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