The "Red Rifle" Andy Dalton has just had statistically his worst season as a pro. He had the fewest attempts in his four years as the Bengals starting quarterback as well as his second lowest passer rating to date. But is this because of Dalton? Or is it merely an aberration?
Dalton has a career touchdown to interception ratio of 99 to 66, which is surprisingly better than I had previously thought. Dalton is often the target of much of the criticism thrown the Bengals way. The Bengals 20th ranked passing and rushing defense certainly does not help Dalton's cause.
Let us also remember that AJ Green the clear cut star of the Bengals missed most of last season or was not 100 percent when he was playing thanks to a foot injury. In a year that should finally see the running game take off as one of the best in the league, the only questions I keep coming up with are on the defensive side of the ball.
After drafting two offensive line man in 2015 critics were surprised with the lack of urgency to draft better defenders. This could still prove to be a problem for the Bengals however Andy Dalton cannot say that it was because of how bad his line was. The Bengals have essentially given Dalton everything he needs to be successful offensively, the rest is up to him.