Hue Jackson: ‘Andy can do it all’
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) throws a pass during the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game against the San Diego Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium. The Chargers defeated the Bengals 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is one of the more criticized starting QBs in the league, as many people wonder if he has the physical tools to lead a team into the deeper portions of the playoffs. As we’ve seen with quarterbacks in the past, a QB that gets hot at the right time can really forge a legacy for himself. But at the same time, quarterbacks as inconsistent as Dalton can also throw games away with poor playoff performances, and it’s difficult to put your faith and call someone a “franchise QB” if they can’t be relied upon to consistently deliver.
That seems to be the question with Dalton, who had a career-high in interceptions last season but also had career highs in touchdowns and yards per attempt. New offensive coordinator Hue Jackson should prove to be an upgrade over Jay Gruden, who was a very solid OC in his own right and is the head coach of the Washington Redskins as a result.
Jackson sounds like a big believer in Dalton, and he gave some effusive praise to his signal-caller today at the Combine. He said, via the Bengals official site, “I like Andy. I like what Andy brings to the table for us. Andy can do it all. I haven’t seen anything he can’t do. He ran with the ball last year. Obviously he threw it all over the yard, and obviously he ran our football team. At the end of the day, that’s the characteristics that we’re looking for in a quarterback for our football team as well as our organization.”
That last sentence just confused me.