How do you grade Dalton's debut

[TheBeaverHunter]

I would give it a solid B. I wish we could have seen more from him though. His passes were very accurate and had good zip on them. He didn't force any passes and didn't make any bad decisions. His presence looked good and he moved around the pocket very well. He definitely gives us something to look forward to.

[|SF2|]

Gotta give it an A-. Rookie QB, rookie OC, rookie and mostly sophmore WRs and TE, rookie RG, first game as a pro seriously besides the minor hand injury it couldn't have gone much better. Almost forgot, we won.

You can't grade him using the same scale as a veteran QB.

If this were Carson Palmer or a vet I would give it a B-.

[Bengals1181]

B+

He was 10-15 with a TD, would have been 13-15 if not for 3 drops (1 gresham, 2 simpson). He did get away with 2 on his other 2 passes though. He underestimated Hayden's ability to break on the ball.

He was poised, he was confident, and he was accurate. Most importantly, the team scored on 3 of his 6 drives. You won't score on them all, but 50% is a good percentage.

[scharm]

I gave him a C. If you could write rules of how not to start a game when the other team's QB is making his first star, Cleveland's first quarter would be on the list.

The Bengals ran the ball well. The bengals were able to stick with the run in the second half due to a strong 3rd quarter defense. I think the QBs were along for the ride.

Not that it is bad. If you could take "Flop" at one end, "Franchise Qb" at the other. Assuming Dalton started in the middle on day one of TC. IMO, he's always taken steps towards "Franchise QB". I think the steps are small and I hope to see this passing game progress more.

[Rumble In the Jungle]

do you guys think we would have won with him in still?

[CTA513]

B / incomplete

[fluhartz]

Solid B

only because he didn't play in the second half.
He did a really good job and the Bengals coaches put in the right situations to succeed....

[CTA513]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' timestamp='1315853986' post='1030179']
do you guys think we would have won with him in still?
[/quote]

my guess is yes since the game was close and hes clearly better than Gradkowski even as a rookie.

[|High School Harry|]

Very solid B.

He had to zip it in there, frozen rope kind of things, more due to the offense
and short, quick hit patterns and I thought those were easier to knock down.
Perhaps some more touch as he develops but I am not concerned now.

Had some drops. Simpson concerned me but its the first game.
I have never been really high on Caldwell but that's OK.

I want to see more of the fake on play actions passes. Did not pay much
attention if he did it at all. Only in a half.

What knocked my socks off was his reads. Did not lock on and go to one
receiver. Checked down and went elsewhere. I thought that was fantastic.
Looked like a far more experienced quarterback and the fact that he had a short
camp just adds to his very surprising maturity as a qb.
I thought at least once he changed the play at the line of scrimmage when he saw something
he did not like. Same things reffed above.

[Jamie_B]

lol, I was going to say Incomplete too.

[scharm]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' timestamp='1315853986' post='1030179']
do you guys think we would have won with him in still?
[/quote]

I do. I think the key was a strong defense in the 3rd. Then the Bengals started pounding the rock and sticking with it in the 4th.

I know the go ahead score was the direct result of a Browns fuck up, but it's not like the Deltha O' Neal or whoever fuck up years ago that led to a 99 yard TD. The Bengals had the momentum and I was confident that they'd have a good chance to go ahead eventually. Browns just made it easy on them.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' timestamp='1315853986' post='1030179']
do you guys think we would have won with him in still?
[/quote]


my gut says yes if he had been healthy the whole game. I think the offense would have been better on the whole in the 2nd half. Not sure if he comes back injured, at the same time I think Dalton would have struggled in the rain more than Gradkowski did.

[Rumble In the Jungle]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1315855074' post='1030192']


my gut says yes if he had been healthy the whole game. I think the offense would have been better on the whole in the 2nd half. Not sure if he comes back injured, at the same time I think Dalton would have struggled in the rain more than Gradkowski did.
[/quote]

I will say that even though I dogged on Gradkowski his experience showed a little!

[texbengal]

I gave him a solid B - he showed poise, made some good reads and what I like about him is that he puts the ball in a good spot. That TD pass to Gresham was great - really well-placed so only Gresham could get to it. He really didn't force the ball, and he showed good awareness overall in the pocket.

Negatives - he was high on the slant to AJ - don't remember if he was rushed, but that one looked like a TD if he got it to AJ inhere he could get it. I didn't like that he misread that one play that Haden almost took back near the goal-line, and the fumble on the D'Qwell Jackson sack wasn't good.

I was a lot more confident with him in there than Grad, that's for sure. I thought he played better than I thought he would for a first outing.

[snarkster]

[quote name='texbengal' timestamp='1315855197' post='1030196']
I gave him a solid B - he showed poise, made some good reads and what I like about him is that he puts the ball in a good spot. That TD pass to Gresham was great - really well-placed so only Gresham could get to it. He really didn't force the ball, and he showed good awareness overall in the pocket.

Negatives - he was high on the slant to AJ - don't remember if he was rushed, but that one looked like a TD if he got it to AJ inhere he could get it. I didn't like that he misread that one play that Haden almost took back near the goal-line, and the fumble on the D'Qwell Jackson sack wasn't good.

I was a lot more confident with him in there than Grad, that's for sure. I thought he played better than I thought he would for a first outing.
[/quote]

I gave him a B. No real complaints, but a B leaves room for improvement (and he will).

[oldschooler]

[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15564298"][b][color="#3b5998"]Sept. 11, 2011 6:20 p.m.[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15564298"][b][color="#3b5998"]Dalton has some success in first start[/color][/b][/url]
QB [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/1125961/andy-dalton"][color="#3b5998"]Andy Dalton[/color][/url] became the first rookie to start the opener and have more touchdowns than interceptions (one TD, zero picks) in a game since Atlanta's Matt Ryan in 2008. "I felt comfortable out there," Dalton said. "The big thing was getting out there and seeing how things go. Once you are out there it’s just playing football."

[ChicagoBengal]

[quote name='texbengal' timestamp='1315855197' post='1030196']
I gave him a solid B - he showed poise, made some good reads and what I like about him is that he puts the ball in a good spot. That TD pass to Gresham was great - really well-placed so only Gresham could get to it. He really didn't force the ball, and he showed good awareness overall in the pocket.

Negatives - he was high on the slant to AJ - don't remember if he was rushed, but that one looked like a TD if he got it to AJ inhere he could get it. I didn't like that he misread that one play that Haden almost took back near the goal-line, and the fumble on the D'Qwell Jackson sack wasn't good.

I was a lot more confident with him in there than Grad, that's for sure. I thought he played better than I thought he would for a first outing.
[/quote]
I'm pretty sure the high throw to AJ was the play when he hurt his hand. Definitely pressure.

[MichaelWeston]

[quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1315856725' post='1030210']
[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15564298"][b][color=#3b5998]Sept. 11, 2011 6:20 p.m.[/color][/b][/url] - by Paul Dehner Jr. - [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/15564298"][b][color=#3b5998]Dalton has some success in first start[/color][/b][/url]
QB [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/player/1125961/andy-dalton"][color=#3b5998]Andy Dalton[/color][/url] became the first rookie to start the opener and have more touchdowns than interceptions (one TD, zero picks) in a game since Atlanta's Matt Ryan in 2008. "I felt comfortable out there," Dalton said. "The big thing was getting out there and seeing how things go. Once you are out there it’s just playing football."
[/quote]

That cant be right. Cam Newton did the same thing the same day.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='MichaelWeston' timestamp='1315860208' post='1030235']

That cant be right. Cam Newton did the same thing the same day.
[/quote]



Became the first. Newton would be the second.

[oldschooler]

[url="http://twitter.com/#!/joereedy"][b][color="#333333"]joereedy[/color][/b][/url][size="2"][color="#999999"]Joe Reedy[/color][/size]




Yesterday marked first time in [url="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23bengals"][s]#[/s]bengals[/url][color="#444444"] history they had opened the season with scores on their first three drives[/color]
[url="http://twitter.com/#!/joereedy/status/113351689087614976"][size="2"][color="#999999"]1 minute ago[/color][/size][/url]

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1315860468' post='1030240']
[url="http://twitter.com/#!/joereedy"][b][color=#333333]joereedy[/color][/b][/url][size=2][color=#999999]Joe Reedy[/color][/size]




Yesterday marked first time in [url="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23bengals"][s]#[/s]bengals[/url][color=#444444] history they had opened the season with scores on their first three drives[/color]
[url="http://twitter.com/#!/joereedy/status/113351689087614976"][size=2][color=#999999]1 minute ago[/color][/size][/url]
[/quote]


"Exorcise the demons!!!" - Oldschooler

[Oldcat]

I went with the B/A- .. showed great decision making for a rookie, a little slow in getting ball to AJ in the endzone but it took a great play by Haden to break it up. Drove with the ball well,

I think if he hadn't been hurt the team might have gotten in gear sooner in the 3rd, but Benson said it was a learning experience for the coaches too.

[Bengals1181]

[quote]
[b] Film Review: Andy Dalton Finds Jermaine Gresham for First Career TD[/b]



When the ball was snapped, the entire offensive line fired out and Pressley burst up through a hole on the right side of the line. Dalton faked a handoff to Benson, who followed his fullback. Both Pressley and Benson stopped short of the end zone and started to help the offensive line form a pocket around Dalton, who still had the ball and was looking for a man. The offensive line blocked well, forming a clear pocket for Dalton to sit in for three seconds. There wasn't a Browns player within three yards of him when he threw the ball.[size=3]
The only person who didn't block right away was Gresham; he ran straight towards the back of the end zone, paused and then cut to his left, running across the quarterback about a yard short of the end line.[/size]
[size=3]
[url="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2621/andrew-whitworth"]Andrew Whitworth[/url] stayed into block just for a second before he took off into the end zone towards the left sideline. Browns defensive back [url="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1278/ray-ventrone"]Ray Ventrone[/url] wasn't fooled, though. He stuck with Whitworth the entire time and had him covered well.
Gresham had his man beat, though. He was being tailed by [url="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/109124/t-j-ward"]T.J. Ward[/url], who stands at 5-10. Gresham stands a good seven inches taller at 6-5. Dalton threw the ball ahead and a little high where only Gresham could catch the ball, and Gresham reached and hauled it in. Ward immediately took him down but Gresham held on, giving the Bengals their first touchdown of the game and Dalton his first touchdown pass of his career.[/quote]


[url="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2011/9/12/2420337/film-review-andy-dalton-finds-jermaine-gresham-for-first-career-td"]http://www.cincyjungle.com/2011/9/12/2420337/film-review-andy-dalton-finds-jermaine-gresham-for-first-career-td[/url][/size]

[cincity]

He's already looking the Safety off... His progression over this last month has been amazing!

[mongo]

[quote name='SF2' timestamp='1315853576' post='1030172']
Gotta give it an A-. Rookie QB, rookie OC, rookie and mostly sophmore WRs and TE, rookie RG, first game as a pro seriously besides the minor hand injury it couldn't have gone much better. Almost forgot, we won.

You can't grade him using the same scale as a veteran QB.

If this were Carson Palmer or a vet I would give it a B-.
[/quote]

That's my thinking as well. For a first rookie start, that was an A. For a seasoned vet, a grade lower.

The kid scored on his first three possessions, didn't throw an interception, completed 2/3's of his passes, and finished with 102.3 passer rating. If that's not an A, I don't know what is... For reference, you knew he was giving you an A game when Gradkowski started the 3rd quarter and you pooped your pants.