The difference in Andy Dalton

[West Union KennyG]

Here's what I want to know, all of you who were clamoring we draft a QB, Trade for Rivers, etc.,
Do you STILL feel that would've been a good idea, would you make that trade today, do you still believe this team will never win a playoff game as long as Dalton is our QB (heard those comments a lot in the frustration of the ending of last year's season)?  Please go on record now - and we'll see.  As for me, I think this Dalton led team will win the AFC North, have a first round bye, and win the next game, if not more.  That's my expectation at this point, and I fully believe that will happen!

[tigerseye]

 I think all the points are valid. And at the Pro Bowl he was embarrassed. Maybe it lit a fire in him  to come back and kick everybodys butt.

To me he's starting to look more and more like Kenny Anderson. KA was unbelievable in his prime. He was playing chess when others were playing checkers. Smart, total grasp of the offence, deadly accurate, would run when needed, put offence in best positions to succeed ,would throw enough deep balls and was even tempered on the field ( a calming presence on the field). And battle tested.

Lets hope AD = KA. I think he can.

[reuben.ahmed]

It takes time to get comfortable in an offense and position, it's good to have the same players year in and year out (ahem, Browns, perennial losers). Living in Cleveland and being a Bengals fan is funny as hell.

[Junglejuice]

(10-03-2015, 12:04 PM)Utts Wrote: I disagree. By the end of last season his confidence was shot. It was even evident in the Pro Bowl.

I also believe his confidence took a hit last year when they took the ball and the decisions out of his hands at times.

Hue has given Andy free reign to change plays and wave off formations this year.
That plays into one of Andy's biggest strengths which is the pre-read of the D.

Having control of the offense I think is starting to really show what the guy can do when hes comfortable executing the plays he wants to run at the times he wants to run them.

[Interceptor]

The difference I see is that he no longer throws 'floaters' when going long. I mean, when was the last time we've seen a Bengals QB hit a receiver in stride? We are seeing that now.

[GreenCornBengal]

So far, no high balls.

Throwing the ball high was his worst issue if you ask me.

He corrected that, and the rest comes with it.

Keep it up Andy.

[BFritz21]

I think the biggest differences are that he's playing with more confidence and he's delivering strikes and bullets to receivers.

Instead of just finding a receiver and kind of lobbing a ball into him, he's standing in the pocket, going through progressions, finding his guy, and then throwing the ball with force and zip.

His long balls also look better in the way that he's not just putting everything he has into throws and hoping that they get there (which they often didn't) because now he's dropping long balls right where he wants them to land with the ability to throw far downfield.

[BonnieBengal]

(10-03-2015, 11:58 AM)EatonFan Wrote: This implies that this was his fault.  Not convinced that is true.  That sack was on really on the coaches -- expecting Eifert to block a top-tier pass rusher.

But not protecting the ball when sacked may have been his fault. The interception was his fault.   Either way, he bounced back instead of crumbling.  If we find out he's seen a sports psychologist or someone to help him with the mental/emotional aspect of the game, I wouldn't be surprised.

[wolfkaosaun]

Great article. Definitely liked how the beginning showed how time must be a factor in being comfortable and confident. QBs are asked to do so much when they first start. It's a NOW league and many grow impatient with players, especially QBs.

[*bengalfan74*]

Jim it's been discussed on here quite a bit. Is there any feeling that in the past they've been in Andy's ear a little to much ? Be this, be that, don't make mistakes be a game manager, we've need to get unscripted plays going, on and on ?

Could part of Andy's comfort level rising be that now they're just saying Andy go play ball ?

[Devils Advocate]

(10-03-2015, 12:04 PM)Utts Wrote: I disagree. By the end of last season his confidence was shot. It was even evident in the Pro Bowl.

I see no correlation. Did you see him respond to the jeers at the celebrity soft ball game? Not what you'd expect from someone who's lost confidence in himself and if you say that's irrelevant, consider the way he's played this season. 


I suggested to the boards last season the possibility that Andy was injured. He went down pretty hard early on but came right back in ( idr the game ) and then proceeded to play the rest of the year like something had changed. This may or may not have happened but it's plausible and testament to his integrity, and the teams for keeping it under wraps, if it did. And more plausible than losing him confidence.  

[EatonFan]

(10-03-2015, 02:43 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: But not protecting the ball when sacked may have been his fault. The interception was his fault.   Either way, he bounced back instead of crumbling.  If we find out he's seen a sports psychologist or someone to help him with the mental/emotional aspect of the game, I wouldn't be surprised.

Unless he has eyes in the back of his head...

[The Caped Crusader]

(10-03-2015, 12:47 PM)Junglejuice Wrote: I also believe his confidence took a hit last year when they took the ball and the decisions out of his hands at times.

Hue has given Andy free reign to change plays and wave off formations this year.
That plays into one of Andy's biggest strengths which is the pre-read of the D.

Having control of the offense I think is starting to really show what the guy can do when hes comfortable executing the plays he wants to run at the times he wants to run them.

Yep. Dalton should have been allowed to make pre-snap adjustments into his second year. The kid is smart, not Peyton Manning adjustment smart but still. A lot of his adjustments have led to great plays. Not only that but it shows a great deal in his intellect and confidence in said situation. 

[grampahol]

As for the confidence issue I think that anyone who can become a starting QB in the NFL has to be pretty confident to begin with and toss in Andys regular season record I don't think that his confidence wavered as much as some think. It's a team sport with 22 fairly violent people running around on every play. To be able to do that at least 16 games a year says a lot about the ego involved much less the confidence it takes. To have a 300 pound man smash you into the ground and still get back up and want to do it again? I don't think it's a confidence issue.

[*bengalfan74*]

(10-03-2015, 09:14 PM)grampahol Wrote: As for the confidence issue I think that anyone who can become a starting QB in the NFL has to be pretty confident to begin with and toss in Andys regular season record I don't think that his confidence wavered as much as some think. It's a team sport with 22 fairly violent people running around on every play. To be able to do that at least 16 games a year says a lot about the ego involved much less the confidence it takes. To have a 300 pound man smash you into the ground and still get back up and want to do it again?  I don't think it's a confidence issue.

While I agree in general in what you're saying, I also think you're oversimplifying it. Does Dalton have confidence in himself ? Sure

But did he have confidence in the receivers not named A.J. to make a catch ? Would that alter his overall confidence ? Did Dalton have confidence that the coaches are fully behind him ? "ok Andy, just don't make any mistakes" ?

Did Dalton have confidence in the O-line ? The play calling ? It goes on and on.

[jowczarski]

(10-03-2015, 03:51 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Jim it's been discussed on here quite a bit. Is there any feeling that in the past they've been in Andy's ear a little to much ? Be this, be that, don't make mistakes be a game manager, we've need to get unscripted plays going, on and on ?

Could part of Andy's comfort level rising be that now they're just saying Andy go play ball ?

Hm. 
I don't know if they were "in his ear" too much. The thing I've heard the most re: on field play is that a bad stretch, or bad plays, would linger - and perhaps lead to more issues. They point to some incompletions in the red zone vs. SD that led to a field goal. In the past, perhaps he forces the issue. Instead, an incompletion is a win. Then you look at combination of the Eifert non-TD / sack-fumble / INT - never lost confidence, never let it continue on. Now, this isn't saying he's not going to have a bad game or games or the Bengals won't lose games. But they feel they've seen the foundation of what could prevent the 2.0 performance, or the stretch of 3-4 games. That's kind of the point of this though - we don't really know what will happen - but that something is "different."

[BengalChris]

(10-03-2015, 02:43 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: But not protecting the ball when sacked may have been his fault. The interception was his fault.   Either way, he bounced back instead of crumbling.  If we find out he's seen a sports psychologist or someone to help him with the mental/emotional aspect of the game, I wouldn't be surprised.

He did bounce back and those are circumstances where, in the past, he had a higher chance of folding up.

Bouncing back, in itself, shows that he can do it. So, hopefully, the next time it happens, and it will cause it happens to the best of them, he'll know that he can bounce back and proceeds to do so.

[The Caped Crusader]

(10-03-2015, 10:02 PM)jowczarski Wrote: Hm. 
I don't know if they were "in his ear" too much. The thing I've heard the most re: on field play is that a bad stretch, or bad plays, would linger - and perhaps lead to more issues. They point to some incompletions in the red zone vs. SD that led to a field goal. In the past, perhaps he forces the issue. Instead, an incompletion is a win. Then you look at combination of the Eifert non-TD / sack-fumble / INT - never lost confidence, never let it continue on. Now, this isn't saying he's not going to have a bad game or games or the Bengals won't lose games. But they feel they've seen the foundation of what could prevent the 2.0 performance, or the stretch of 3-4 games. That's kind of the point of this though - we don't really know what will happen - but that something is "different."

Good point. There was plenty of times in that game where he could have went 'Bad Dalton'. No TD, Interception, Sack Fumble. He continued to keep ripping up the secondary. I just hope it continues. KC is going to be hungry for a win.

[Utts]

(10-03-2015, 06:06 PM)Devils Advocate Wrote: This may or may not have happened but it's plausible and testament to his integrity, and the teams for keeping it under wraps, if it did. And more plausible than losing him confidence.  

How is an injury cover up more plausible than him losing confidence, and WHY WHY WHY would they let him play in the Pro Bowl if he were injured? Rubbish.

[Ricky Spanish]

As a huge Dalton "doubter" I can honestly say that I have seen a huge difference in the quality of his game.

Dalton has improved in many aspects of his game so far.