You have to admit that even though Dalton has proved you right, he also has proved you wrong too. You made it sound like from the very beginning that his arm would prevent him from doing that well. When in reality even though he doesn't have the strongest arm, his arm has not been a huge reason for when he does struggle. He has gotten better every year and last year alone they were a top 10 offense and the 6th best scoring offense and that was without much of a running game. So he is doing something right. What has hurt him more than his arm ever has is his inability to handle not only the pressure a defense may bring on a blitz, but the pressure of a big game. He seems to get to uptight and even to hyped up sometimes. Its been more mental IMO for his struggles than his arm. Yes he won't win many deep throwing contest with other NFL starters, however his arm has been good enough and will be good enough down if he can mentally handle big moments.

 

Maybe he can't "mentally" handle the big moments against really good teams or in the playoffs b/c he "physically" needs to be able to make more difficult throws but his arm has limitations that stop that from happening.

Hue Jackson will make do a lot less this year.

Maybe he can't "mentally" handle the big moments against really good teams or in the playoffs b/c he "physically" needs to be able to make more difficult throws but his arm has limitations that stop that from happening.

 

You would have a point if a lot of his bad throws in big games were because of his arm. Just look at last years playoff game and his picks. His first pick came on a ball he had no business throwing, pressure in his face and he threw blindly to a doubled cover Green and it was picked off. A QB with a huge arm doesn't complete that because its a pass no one should make. Then the 2nd pick was another throw that should have never been made. The ball came out quickly and a guy had great coverage on him and jumped the route.

 

Dalton's struggles in big games has rarely had to do with his arm. Even in the first Pittsburgh game last year he had guys wide open and he was just flat out missing because he was so dang amped up for the game. The same type of throws he hits fine against average teams. His arm has no problems against average teams. He makes great decisions those games too. Its in big games or top defenses where he mentally has sucked. Yes his arm is average at best, but that average arm has led him to being better every season. Only one area he has still not grown in and that is big games, and that is mental and very little to do with arm strength in those games.

You would have a point if a lot of his bad throws in big games were because of his arm. Just look at last years playoff game and his picks. His first pick came on a ball he had no business throwing, pressure in his face and he threw blindly to a doubled cover Green and it was picked off. A QB with a huge arm doesn't complete that because its a pass no one should make. Then the 2nd pick was another throw that should have never been made. The ball came out quickly and a guy had great coverage on him and jumped the route.

 

Dalton's struggles in big games has rarely had to do with his arm. Even in the first Pittsburgh game last year he had guys wide open and he was just flat out missing because he was so dang amped up for the game. The same type of throws he hits fine against average teams. His arm has no problems against average teams. He makes great decisions those games too. Its in big games or top defenses where he mentally has sucked. Yes his arm is average at best, but that average arm has led him to being better every season. Only one area he has still not grown in and that is big games, and that is mental and very little to do with arm strength in those games.

 

 

To you. Maybe he mentally checks out a bit b/c he knows there are throws he can't make. Maybe the good teams know he can't either and they take away what he is good at.

To you. Maybe he mentally checks out a bit b/c he knows there are throws he can't make. Maybe the good teams know he can't either and they take away what he is good at.

 

Once again you would have a point if he was having to throw different throws against good teams. However he still throws the same type of throws against good teams and yet even if a guy is open he misses them. Or tries to still throw it even if a guy is covered. Once again more mental than arm sttenght. If his arm strength was such a problem like you made it out to be he wouldnt have gotten better each year and put up numbers only hall of famers have in first three years. If his arm strength was as bad as you make it out to be he wouldnt oneof the top red zone qbs in the nfl because it is even tighter windows down there and he wouldnt do well down there if his arm is as bad and such a problem as you say.

 

His biggest problem pure and simple is he is or has been mentally weak. Yes his arm is average at best but that is not as big of a problem as you make it out to be.

Arm strength is not his problem, he has enough arm strength to make the throws he needs to make. There are plenty of QB's who have his type of arm strength that have won big games. The first to come to mind is Joe Montana. What is clear, is he has to figure out what to do with the ball under pressure. The San Diego playoff game is the best example. He had a decent first half, but when the Chargers determined the only way we are going to win this game is throwing the house at Dalton, he and the team did not respond well at all.

 

This was everything to Dalton making awful throws and the coaches not making the correct adjustments. Compounding that was the fact the defense forgot how to stop the run. When that happens, a QB like Rivers will make you pay and he did. That is not to say Dalton wasn't the problem, he was part of it and the most important part of it.

 

The team has been outplayed and out coached in all three playoff losses. Dalton's arm strength was not the problem and isn't the problem.

Once again you would have a point if he was having to throw different throws against good teams. However he still throws the same type of throws against good teams and yet even if a guy is open he misses them. Or tries to still throw it even if a guy is covered. Once again more mental than arm sttenght. If his arm strength was such a problem like you made it out to be he wouldnt have gotten better each year and put up numbers only hall of famers have in first three years. If his arm strength was as bad as you make it out to be he wouldnt oneof the top red zone qbs in the nfl because it is even tighter windows down there and he wouldnt do well down there if his arm is as bad and such a problem as you say.

 

His biggest problem pure and simple is he is or has been mentally weak. Yes his arm is average at best but that is not as big of a problem as you make it out to be.

 

Funny b/c coming into the league and even now his coaches have said he was so mentally strong. Weird that went away the same time he was required to make tougher throws. Shouldn't a first year player at 24 improve every year for three years? Like don't most rookies improve before eventually declining? A 538 writer thinks the decline starts within the next few years b/c this season is the "peak" age for most QB's:

 

The Bengals Don?t Have A Better Option Than Andy Dalton | FiveThirtyEight

Funny b/c coming into the league and even now his coaches have said he was so mentally strong. Weird that went away the same time he was required to make tougher throws. Shouldn't a first year player at 24 improve every year for three years? Like don't most rookies improve before eventually declining? A 538 writer thinks the decline starts within the next few years b/c this season is the "peak" age for most QB's:

 

The Bengals Don?t Have A Better Option Than Andy Dalton | FiveThirtyEight

 

Its also funny seeing a guy who you have said from the beginning his arm was terrible, and truly made it sound like with how bad his arm is that he probably wouldn't be able to make this offense better. Yet each year under him the offense got better and was a top 10 offense last year without much of a running game. Hmmm seems to be that horrible arm must not be as bad as you made it seem to be for him to lead an offense to be a top 10 offense without much of a running game.

 

I definitely am not arguing with you saying his arm is strong, because his arm is definitely not strong but it is not as horrible as you always seem to try to claim. He has an average arm its no more no less. His arm has nothing to do with the bad decisions he makes in big games.

Dalton's arm may be strong enough but he's to little to be an accurate passer. He can't see over the OL or the DL. His best balls are the ones he throws as far as he can and Green runs under them.

Funny b/c coming into the league and even now his coaches have said he was so mentally strong. Weird that went away the same time he was required to make tougher throws. Shouldn't a first year player at 24 improve every year for three years? Like don't most rookies improve before eventually declining? A 538 writer thinks the decline starts within the next few years b/c this season is the "peak" age for most QB's:

 

The Bengals Don?t Have A Better Option Than Andy Dalton | FiveThirtyEight

 

I'm surprised at the 27 age peak number. I would have expected it to be a couple years later. If so and Dalton stays average for a couple more years that would give the Bengals the out that's in his contract. Problem is I don't see anything on the horizon in that time span unless the Bengals revert to their old ways and get into the top of the draft.

I'm surprised at the 27 age peak number. I would have expected it to be a couple years later. If so and Dalton stays average for a couple more years that would give the Bengals the out that's in his contract. Problem is I don't see anything on the horizon in that time span unless the Bengals revert to their old ways and get into the top of the draft.

 

Mike and Katie must have known that stat, thus the incentives over the last portion of the deal.

Dalton's arm may be strong enough but he's to little to be an accurate passer. He can't see over the OL or the DL. His best balls are the ones he throws as far as he can and Green runs under them.

 

Its not about being little for him, its his pocket presence that needs work. Drew Brees has shown you can be a very accurate QB even if you are short. However Brees has great pocket presence and finds the lanes to step up into to have a good window to throw in. Dalton needs a lot of work in that area.

Its also funny seeing a guy who you have said from the beginning his arm was terrible, and truly made it sound like with how bad his arm is that he probably wouldn't be able to make this offense better. Yet each year under him the offense got better and was a top 10 offense last year without much of a running game. Hmmm seems to be that horrible arm must not be as bad as you made it seem to be for him to lead an offense to be a top 10 offense without much of a running game.

 

I definitely am not arguing with you saying his arm is strong, because his arm is definitely not strong but it is not as horrible as you always seem to try to claim. He has an average arm its no more no less. His arm has nothing to do with the bad decisions he makes in big games.

 

I love how you agree with me but write a book disagreeing with me. Great stuff.

I'm surprised at the 27 age peak number. I would have expected it to be a couple years later. If so and Dalton stays average for a couple more years that would give the Bengals the out that's in his contract. Problem is I don't see anything on the horizon in that time span unless the Bengals revert to their old ways and get into the top of the draft.

 

I was surprised by that age as well.

Actually Dalton doesn't have a super bad batted passes rating. In 2012 (that's the latest I could find) He had 14 passes batted at the line, Weeden, Luck, Tannehill and another had more. They are all taller than Andy. He actually is in the range of Brees and Big Ben He really doesn't rank poorly in any category except when under pressure where he is only better than 9 others and interceptions. His deep passing % and accuracy, believe it or not is in he Top Ten. His biggest strength is getting rid of the ball quickly, which is #1 in the NFL. The O=line averages 2.62 seconds per attempt in holding off pressure and he averages 2.40 in releasing the ball.

 

People can criticize him for many things, but not his stats overall. He is consistently ranked 15 or 16 in overall stats.

 

This hasn't brought a playoff win, however, and I know that is really the biggest hurdle he must overcome.