As an observer, that is a problem for me. He can't consistently move the ball. It is very, very difficult for a "feast or famine" type QB to win when it matters most. That is 3-4 games in-a-row in January.

 

I don't think you're alone in thinking Dalton may not have the chops to lead this team to a Super Bowl (Lord knows, HellBird is jogging alongside you on this issue), but I also think his critics have knee-jerked a little too far into the "he is horrible" side of the equation.

 

The issue for me is this: I think he is good, not great, and if this is his full development, than I'm concerned. If he is still learning / getting better (in spite of evidence the last few weeks), than I'm okay. I know this, the number of QB's all-time that have had better first 43 games in the NFL can be counted on two hands. I also know that he has been bad when the lights have been the brightest (playoffs, prime time games, intra-division rivals), and that is troubling.

 

Either way, while he isn't Brady / Manning/ Luck (although he has clunkers too at this point), he should be good enough to keep this team moving forward.

 

Many have said "Fans are settling for mediocrity", but in fact, making the playoffs in the NFL isn't easy and he has done it twice (out of 2 years). They are 7-4 this year and leading their division by an acre and a half. These last 43 games don't define mediocrity.

I don't think you're alone in thinking Dalton may not have the chops to lead this team to a Super Bowl (Lord knows, HellBird is jogging alongside you on this issue), but I also think his critics have knee-jerked a little too far into the "he is horrible" side of the equation.

 

The issue for me is this: I think he is good, not great, and if this is his full development, than I'm concerned. If he is still learning / getting better (in spite of evidence the last few weeks), than I'm okay. I know this, the number of QB's all-time that have had better first 43 games in the NFL can be counted on two hands. I also know that he has been bad when the lights have been the brightest (playoffs, prime time games, intra-division rivals), and that is troubling.

 

Either way, while he isn't Brady / Manning/ Luck (although he has clunkers too at this point), he should be good enough to keep this team moving forward.

 

Many have said "Fans are settling for mediocrity", but in fact, making the playoffs in the NFL isn't easy and he has done it twice (out of 2 years). They are 7-4 this year and leading their division by an acre and a half. These last 43 games don't define mediocrity.

 

I'm not a "sky is falling" type of fan. I'm just going off of what I see. I see an above average QB. That is why I said that if they don't see a better option, he certainly isn't bad enough to cast aside. I just don't see him as having gotten any better from this point last season until now. The best and worst thing that could have happened to him was getting all of these "weapons." His butt is so tight that you could put coal up there and get a diamond by the end of the game. He's so afraid of mistakes that his progressions are too slow. It's read one or right to the check down. There is hope. During that 4 game run, he hit Sanu and Jones consistently, as well as Gresham. However, they started dropping passes, he lost his confidence, and has gone right back into his shell.

Luck vs. Dalton on 12/8 will be an interesting benchmark for both QBs. I will be there.

No, he has to put drives together. He has to convert on third down. He can't have 4 consecutive 3-5 play drives during the playoffs. The Bengals don't need to be the Broncos. They need to be able to run the ball. You can't do that consistently if you can't convert on 3rd and 3 or 4.

 

The thing that has killed the Bengals on drives are turnovers and penalties. I don't have any numbers, but I'd be very surprised if the Bengals have had more 3 and outs than most teams. I'd say they're very much on par or better than the majority of the league in that regard.

Luck vs. Dalton on 12/8 will be an interesting benchmark for both QBs. I will be there.

 

Far more interesting in that NO ONE wants to be the #4 seed this year. A huge difference between #3 seed and #4 seed: host 8-8 Dolphins / Jets / Steelers or host 13-3 Chiefs / Broncos.

Far more interesting in that NO ONE wants to be the #4 seed this year. A huge difference between #3 seed and #4 seed: host 8-8 Dolphins / Jets / Steelers or host 13-3 Chiefs / Broncos.

 

This week is a huge week for the Bengals. A win by the Broncos on Sunday night and the Bengals/Colts game suddenly becomes for the driver's seat for the 2nd 1st round bye.

This week is a huge week for the Bengals. A win by the Broncos on Sunday night and the Bengals/Colts game suddenly becomes for the driver's seat for the 2nd 1st round bye.

 

In short, we (Bengals Fans) need Indy and New England to lose every week and our game against Indy is a have to win if we want anything other than the 4 Seed. Personally, I like the sound of the 2 Seed.

I think coaches make statements like this when their guy is in trouble and feel they need to give him confidence and the fans confidence in him. Really, why say this if it's something everyone knows?

In short, we (Bengals Fans) need Indy and New England to lose every week and our game against Indy is a have to win if we want anything other than the 4 Seed. Personally, I like the sound of the 2 Seed.

 

They don't need them to lose every week. Really, it boils down to the Bengals just need to win out, and they're all but guaranteed the 2 seed.

They don't need them to lose every week. Really, it boils down to the Bengals just need to win out, and they're all but guaranteed the 2 seed.

 

We are talking semantics now. Of course they are not going to lose every week and of course we want the Bengals to win every week. If the Bengals win every week and the Pats lose just one game we are the #2 seed unless both Denver and KC tank which is unlikely.

 

Any way you cut the pie this is a very interesting year as a Bengal fan. If Dalton gets hot in January it will be off the hook.

Far more interesting in that NO ONE wants to be the #4 seed this year. A huge difference between #3 seed and #4 seed: host 8-8 Dolphins / Jets / Steelers or host 13-3 Chiefs / Broncos.

 

#2 is still there for the taking.

Neither.

 

I think he feels Dalton is going to be the QB of the Bengals for the foreseeable future. That's not coach-speak, nor is it a problem.

 

Ok so since you don't think its coach-speak or a problem. I take it as that you also would try to sign him to a big contract? Which is fine if you do, but can you give me reasons why you would want him signed to a long contract? For someone who hated Palmer so much, when you look at the numbers Dalton is not doing much better and is living off the defense like Palmer did in 2009 and you used that against him.

 

I am hoping you present a good argument for why they should, because I want to find a reason to believe he is the QB of the future because right now he is starting to give me doubts after supporting him the last two years. I believe the Bengals will re-sign him, so I just want a reason to believe in him.

Dalton will get the 100M extension like it or not. They have prepared cap room for AD and AJ, they had no choice really. QB drafting is the biggest crap shoot in the NFL. IT could be a lot worse. See, Gabbert, Ponder, etc. Whatever causes the TO's must be stopped. I imagine it is combination of AD and receivers, plus line play.

You would think he is saying that there are times a route is run incorrectly and an interception results. I remember hearing about that when the QB's had a lot of interceptions with Chad Johnson. With that said, they can't run that many routes incorrectly, can they?

The problem with saying that may e the routes were run wrong on the 2 int's is that if that were the case the passes wouldn't have been thrown to the reciever. They both were just terribly behind the reciever and telegraphed big time. Those 2 were all in Dalton, not the WR.

The problem with saying that may e the routes were run wrong on the 2 int's is that if that were the case the passes wouldn't have been thrown to the reciever. They both were just terribly behind the reciever and telegraphed big time. Those 2 were all in Dalton, not the WR.

 

I am more on your side with Dalton, but that simply is not true especially at the NFL level. At the NFL level QB's have to anticipate passes much sooner than high school or college QB's and have even tighter windows to throw into. The ball is usually out before a guy even makes his break. Which means if a WR doesn't get to the right depth, the pass will look bad. If the WR reads the defense different and cuts out, instead of in then it will be a bad pass, etc. So when the QB is throwing the ball, a lot of the times the QB wouldn't know if the WR is going to run the wrong route until after the ball is gone.

 

With that said Dalton still has been playing horrible, no matter who's fault some of the interceptions were.