A quick observation of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and how he has played in preparation for the season opener Sept. 13 against the Oakland Raiders:

Early-game rhythm has been the most telling indicator to determining how Dalton's preseason outings have ended up going.

The one time in three preseason games when he was out of sync with the other 10 players on his offense, the ball barely moved downfield. Scoring opportunities were scarce. Turnovers were rampant. At Tampa Bay last Monday night, Dalton had interceptions on back-to-back second-quarter possessions. Both of them led to Buccaneers scores.

In one half of action in that game, Dalton's offense generated just 49 yards and three points.

But that disappointing Week 2 performance has been largely overshadowed by what Dalton has done in two other drives this preseason. Because of his play during those series, Dalton has earned a thumbs-up for his play as he enters the regular season.

The first of those two drives came in the preseason opener against the Giants when, on eight plays, Dalton marched his offense 80 yards for a quick score. In his only series from the opener, Dalton was 3-for-3 for 31 yards and a touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu.

In Saturday night's win over the Bears, he was back in complete rhythm with his teammates, and responded adequately to his struggles in the previous game at Tampa Bay. He bounced back by boosting the offense's energy on a 16-play drive that featured three runs by Dalton and six completions that were spread among five receivers. The drive ended when Dalton dove in from 1 yard out on a quarterback sneak.

Dalton came out just after due to a minor neck injury. While backup AJ McCarron was impressive in relief (12-of-17, 149 yards, touchdown), Dalton isn't part of any quarterback controversy. His generally solid, in-sync play this preseason has put him in a good spot ahead of the season opener.

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