Andy Dalton has been placed on the Cincinnati Bengals’ hot seat. After suffering his third consecutive first round loss during his three years in the NFL, his value to the Bengals falls into question. He has excelled during regular season play but struggles in the playoffs. Undoubtedly, he is not the first quarterback to begin his post-season career on the negative side, so why has his career already been called into question? Is it unfair to criticize Dalton’s poor post-season performance? Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning both started their post-season careers with 0-3 records, but what makes Dalton’s case different?
The best answer is because of the talent built around him. The Bengals ranked third in total defense this year, tenth in total offense and had the eight best passing attack this year. Cincinnati’s rushing attack is not dominant or explosive, but it is enough to help balance the offense. Dalton has great players around him. With wide receivers such as A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard at running back, and tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert, the Bengals’ offense should be able to run and pass with efficiency. The offense excels weeks one through 17 but falls off in the playoffs. Dalton threw his first career post-season touchdown on Sunday, but it was the only one of the game. The three-year quarterback has the lone touchdown stacked against six interceptions in those three games. He has not done enough to win.
The increasingly excellent play of young quarterbacks in the NFL could also be creating tension. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson won a playoff game in his rookie year, and the Colts’ Andrew Luck won his first playoff game this season, in only his second year, with the second-greatest comeback in NFL history. The Seahawks have a better built team than both the Bengals and Colts, but Indianapolis is the bottom of these three. Both Seattle and Cincinnati have great defenses and efficient offenses. The Colts’ defense has not been top five or ten since the first several weeks of regular season, but they are still in the playoffs because of one person, quarterback Andrew Luck. Don’t forget Seattle won against an injured Robert Griffin, III, in Washington. The result could have been different if he were healthy. With these two young quarterbacks progressing in the playoffs, competitive edge could play a part in the heat Dalton has taken.
One last factor could simply be the coaching. Marvin Lewis has been coaching the Cincinnati Bengals for 11 years and has five playoff appearances without a win. Winning is a top priority in this league, and Lewis has failed to win when it matters most. He is 90-85-1 in the regular season and 0-5 in the playoffs. After 11 years of coaching with only several wins above .500, it is time for a change.
Next year could be the final run for both Dalton and Lewis if a playoff game or run is not produced. Excellent regular seasons become null and void if a team can never win in the playoffs, and if another season for Cincinnati ends this same way, the feeling of failure may be enough to end the Dalton-Lewis run.
