(12-17-2015, 12:50 AM)Wyche Wrote: .....you're preaching this to a lot of people who don't even know who these folks are....but I'm feelin' what you're sellin'.....gotta agree.

I'm only 25.. no excuse for not knowing great football lore :)

Whoever gives the bengals the best chance to win the game is who should start. Regular season passer rating doesn't really hold much water when it comes to the playoffs. Either does dusty old national championships.

The coaches will know who to play come practice.

(12-17-2015, 02:02 AM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Face tattoo or Tramp stamp.

 That's funny the ole make tramp stamp

(12-17-2015, 07:56 AM)SC0de_M0nkey Wrote: San Francisco nearly won two super bowls by sticking with the hot hand. Andy is having a good year but you can't bench the guy who gave you your first playoff win in over 20 years for an 0-4 playoff qb, period. If the Bengals go to a super bowl and a championship with AJ like the 49ers did with Kaepernick will you still say that Andy deserves to start over him?

How do you bench the guy that was having a top 5 in his position season? I understand everyone saying if AJM,is the hot hand go with him. Myself give me the guy,that got you in position to make the run. If he's properly healed. 

Depends on just how healthy Andy's thumb is. If AJ is playing well enough to win and Dalton isn't at full strength, then there's no way I rush Andy back. If Dalton is throwing the ball well in practice and has no signs of being a shell of his 2015 self, then I give him the nod.

(12-17-2015, 09:44 AM)Se ky bengal Wrote: How do you bench the guy that was having a top 5 in his position season? I understand everyone saying if AJM,is the hot hand go with him. Myself give me the guy,that got you in position to make the run. If he's properly healed. 

Sticking with AJ McCarron after the organization's first playoff win in my lifetime while Andy is banged up is not the same as benching Andy Dalton.

I seriously doubt it will happen, but if AJ comes out and tosses 6 TDs a game till Daton is ready you gotta stick with him. I'm guessing he'll play just good enough to muddle through into the playoffs. I really hope he doesn't get pummelled and look like a deer in the headlights. I'll ask my magic bottle of Gorilla glue what they should do.

I swear it seems like some folks are more excited about AJ finally getting a chance than they were about the MVP season Dalton was having. There's a dozen McCarron threads talking about him "going off" or winning the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Andy Dalton thread has been dead since Dalton started tearing it up. I've never seen a fan base less excited about MVP play from their QB.

To the OP, I'd hand the ball right back to Dalton unless McCarron is absolutely shredding teams, which doesn't seem likely. Dalton is the franchise, and he's earned it with his play this season. Also, what if McCarron lost the 2nd playoff game? We'd still be stuck with the questions about Andy in the playoffs. We have to give him the opportunity to get the monkey off his back.

(12-17-2015, 12:27 PM)samhain Wrote: Depends on just how healthy Andy's thumb is.  If AJ is playing well enough to win and Dalton isn't at full strength, then there's no way I rush Andy back.  If Dalton is throwing the ball well in practice and has no signs of being a shell of his 2015 self, then I give him the nod.

This. It's really not a simple yes or no question.

(12-16-2015, 08:00 PM)Lqhybrid25 Wrote: Here is the bases of this question.

Macaroni plays well the rest of the season.
We get to the playoffs, and whether its the divisional round or the wild card round, Dalton is not ready.
McCarron actually leading a game winning driv, Or just playing lights out and wins us our first play off game. Not on the back of the defense.
Now add in Andy Dalton will be ready for the next week after.

Who are you starting for the 2nd game of the play offs? It could be the AFC TITLE game or the Divisional Round

Please tell us why

If dalton is fully healthy and practicing well and looks to be his old self (2015 self) i would put dalton in and let him try and finish the great season hes started... And feel much more comfortable with the backup situation.

If dalton isnt 100% and is having any issues with grib or throwing then you roll with McCarron.



I dont think its a realistic expectation for McCarron to come in and play to the level dalton was this season. So if he does enough to make it to the playoffs or thru a playoff round i dont think it will be as pretty as people think.

But hope he comes out and is the next best thing since sliced bread. Most franchises cant find 1 QB and all of the sudden we will have 2.

If the Bengals don't win a playoff game when Dalton isn't playing, it will go to show that all the previous playoff losses the past four years were not all on Dalton and this team as a whole cannot get it together.

You don't bench Andy. He's been having an incredible year. If he's healthy, he's the starter.

(12-17-2015, 02:36 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I swear it seems like some folks are more excited about AJ finally getting a chance than they were about the MVP season Dalton was having. There's a dozen McCarron threads talking about him "going off" or winning the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Andy Dalton thread has been dead since Dalton started tearing it up. I've never seen a fan base less excited about MVP play from their QB.

To the OP, I'd hand the ball right back to Dalton unless McCarron is absolutely shredding teams, which doesn't seem likely. Dalton is the franchise, and he's earned it with his play this season. Also, what if McCarron lost the 2nd playoff game? We'd still be stuck with the questions about Andy in the playoffs. We have to give him the opportunity to get the monkey off his back.

Until he wins a playoff game the media and fans will place a caveat on anything Andy does. Dalton himself knows this. He's had a fantastic year, but he also had his worst games on the big stage, as he has done since he got into the league. 

In AJ the Bengals have a QB that played well on the highest possible stage in college. While I do feel McCarron fever has reached a bit of an odd level on the boards since Andy went down, I do understand it. AJ represents a bit of an unknown. He may well be a career backup and play like a 5th rounder. But in the back of the mind, until he proves otherwise, there will always be that what if. What if the 'experts' got it wrong. What if he was more crucial to the 'Bama success than people had given him credit for.

If it was someone like we have had in the past at backup, a Jason Campbell or Gradkowski, then I don't think there would be this level of intrigue. Also the TD McCarron threw to Green last week was about as good as any deep ball Dalton has thrown in terms of spiral, timing and placement. He's an interesting prospect.

(12-17-2015, 03:36 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: You don't bench Andy. He's been having an incredible year. If he's healthy, he's the starter.

Exactly what I was thinking.

I had trouble even believing some people are saying that we should bench him.

And it's not like he's just having a lucky year or anything because his mechanics, arm strength, leadership, and all the other intangibles are amazing.

(12-17-2015, 02:36 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I swear it seems like some folks are more excited about AJ finally getting a chance than they were about the MVP season Dalton was having. There's a dozen McCarron threads talking about him "going off" or winning the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Andy Dalton thread has been dead since Dalton started tearing it up. I've never seen a fan base less excited about MVP play from their QB.

Ya, I agree with you, its a little sickening. Some fans have always been against Dalton, and I really don't know if their tune would change even if he did win a superbowl. The fact that people think there will be no dropoff between the two is just moronic. Dalton is a veteran top 5 QB this season, McCarron is a tom brady hopeful at best... The experience factor is so important and people overlook this.

After AJ McCarron threw the pick 6 I could not watch the Pittsburgh game any more.

Later that night I was interested to discover the final score. Besides a very impressive TD throw to the other AJ he must have had one other good drive and a couple of others resulting in FGs. It would be ironic if AJ McCarron starts for the playoff game and wins it, no matter what the circumstances. I guess he has to beat SF to make sure the Bengals get into the playoffs in the first place.

(12-16-2015, 08:00 PM)Lqhybrid25 Wrote: Here is the bases of this question.

Macaroni plays well the rest of the season.
We get to the playoffs, and whether its the divisional round or the wild card round, Dalton is not ready.
McCarron actually leading a game winning driv, Or just playing lights out and wins us our first play off game. Not on the back of the defense.
Now add in Andy Dalton will be ready for the next week after.

Who are you starting for the 2nd game of the play offs? It could be the AFC TITLE game or the Divisional Round

Please tell us why

Isn't this a bit premature since we have not qualified for the playoffs yet?  How about we get through what we haven't done in 41 years;  Win in SF to get in the playoffs first.

If Dalton is healthy, you put him back in there.

(12-17-2015, 03:19 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: If dalton is fully healthy and practicing well and looks to be his old self (2015 self)  i would put dalton in and let him try and finish the great season hes started...  And feel much more comfortable with the backup situation.

If dalton isnt 100% and is having any issues with grib or throwing then you roll with McCarron.



I dont think its a realistic expectation for McCarron to come in and play to the level dalton was this season.  So if he does enough to make it to the playoffs or thru a playoff round i dont think it will be as pretty as people think.

But hope he comes out and is the next best thing since sliced bread.  Most franchises cant find 1 QB and all of the sudden we will have 2.

^This^

It's a lose-lose for Dalton because it's almost a certain thing that he plays in the playoffs, and probably a guarantee if the first playoff game is after a bye. However, I don't think there's any chance Dalton is 100% and despite this, a playoff loss will just exacerbate the criticism.

If McCarron loses that same game, he gets a 100% pass. If he wins, the argument will already start to make him the starter over Andy. The last thing I want is the Bengals to keep Andy, activate the bad portion of his contract, yet have every single game and every single drive micromanaged with McCarron being called for to replace him.

It's not a good situation if that's how it goes.