Does the backup QB really matter?

[Shake n Blake]

(09-01-2016, 11:16 PM)BengalChris Wrote: Isn't that how Dalton's first two years were? Managed and pared down? I'm pretty sure they were. In fact, I know they were.

And I'd disagree with you. Most certainly about the 2nd season. Even in his rookie season, he connected deep with AJ Green and even Simpson quite a bit. You just didn't see that much with McCarron last year, except in the game where he threw 2 picks. If I'm wrong, feel free to point out some examples where Mac really aired it out in his 4 starts.

In his 4 starts, he averaged 6.16 YPA, which definitely helps prove my point. Heck, his yards/completion was 9.9. Anything under 11 is pretty rare, and anything under 10 almost never happens. He wasn't airing it out much. Dalton averaged a more respectable 6.59 YPA as a rookie (6.55 if you include his playoff game). He made many highlight throws that year, and averaged 11.3 yards/completion.

Also, the offense under rookie Dalton averaged 319.9 yards per game, more than 43 yards more per game on average than McCarron in his starts.