01-07-2016, 06:22 PM
(01-07-2016, 04:28 PM)PlayerFormerlyKnownAsMousecop Wrote: Agreed, but I still don't think he showed he was an elite quarterback just yet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Dalton fan and I've always said that I thought he was going to be a sort of Drew Brees-lite. But his playoff and prime-time struggles are very real, and I'm under the impression that he still had a hard time in a few big games he played in this year (Pittsburgh, Houston, etc.)
Maybe this was supposed to be his year to prove that wrong (see: MVP caliber game against Seattle), and I think it still can be, but he still needs to get over that hump, whether it's this year or further down the road (if ever).
There isn't a whole lot to point to if you want to focus on prime-time and playoff record as the only indication whether or not Dalton has progressed far enough to get over those humps. For me it was just simply how I saw the offense play and I saw him play. I can't point to one thing in particular but in general we were rolling over defenses for most of the year.If the team plays close to its potential like we saw in the first 8 weeks we looked like the best team in the NFL imo.
What I saw from the first Pitt game was ugly on both sides. Seems like a game like that happens with Pitt and/or Baltimore once a year were the stats aren't anything to be excited about but it was a tough fought win. Houston wasn't Andy's best game but you have more problems then just Dalton when TJ Yates comes out looking like a starter.
If Dalton was playing against Pitt it's not like I think he would light them up or anything but Im a lot more confident we win the game. The Bengals are going to be coming into this game pissed off from the last Steelers game focused and ready to take care of business. It will be a solid team win just like the first game or they will come out too amped up and beat themselves.
