Arkansas Bengal Posted October 10, 2015 Report Share Posted October 10, 2015 Login PAUL DAUGHERTY Doc: New Andy Dalton shining in Year 5 Paul Daugherty, pdaugherty@enquirer.com2 hours ago The Enquirer/Sam Greene Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton calls the count at the line. The video is 100 percent truth, and it reveals perfection. Two possessions, 14 plays, 160 yards, two touchdowns. Seven plays and 80 yards each, symmetrical tributes to the quarterback the Bengals believe Andy Dalton is becoming. These were the first two drives last Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. They roll out silently on a screen in Bengals quarterback coach Ken Zampese's office at Paul Brown Stadium. I've asked what is different about Dalton in 2015, on the field. His off-field presence is obviously changed. Looser, more confident, a glide to his stride. Call it what you like. I'm not a football expert, but after 27 years here, I'm a decent study of personalities. Dalton's has undergone a makeover. How does that translate to Sundays? Zampese lets the video run. "I've got a free (pass rusher) coming at me. I'm just going to draw him to me and (throw) one over his head,'' says Zampese, describing the first play of the game. Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert jogs in motion left to right. Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali comes full blast off Dalton's right side. Dalton lofts the ball over Hali's head. Sixteen yards. "Andy has a backyard element to him that shows a feel for the game,'' Zampese says. Third-and-2, Bengals 44-yard line: Dalton in the shotgun, fields a groundball snap. "They have Hali and (Justin) Houston in there,'' says Zampese, two of the best pass rushers in the league. "They put three other D-linemen in the game, to make sure there's 1-on-1 (matchups) across the board.'' No double-teams to slow the rush. Dalton picks up the grounder, sees a backup Chiefs safety in man-to-man coverage against A.J. Green (the football version of stealing a baby's candy) and hits Green with a pass between the numbers for a 36-yard gain. "Scrambling around, having your wits about you, then dropping a dime. That's a positive,'' Zampese says. The implication is clear: In previous years, maybe Dalton gets flustered, takes a sack or makes a bad decision. This time he picks up the ball, knows who's covering Green because he saw it at the line of scrimmage before the snap, then calmly delivers a deep ball. Reasons for Dalton's improvement are offered in general terms. Zampese says the QB worked harder in the offseason. The offensive staff met with Dalton after last season and said, in Zampese's words, "We're not going to get past this unless we change what we're doing.'' Vague references are made to the influence Dalton's wife Jordan has had on what Zampese calls "the process.'' Marvin Lewis mentioned recently that Jordan Dalton is part of "the team.'' In a pre-draft interview with Sports Illustrated in 2011, the interviewer asked Dalton his favorite hobby. "Spending time with Jordan,'' he said. Show CaptionShare Media PreviousNext 1 of 12 Regardless, Zampese credits Dalton's willingness to do more. "The more you put in, the more you can demand from the people around you,'' he says. "He's more comfortable with what we're asking him to be. Baby-marriage-contract,'' Zampese explains, referring to the birth of Dalton's son and the contract extension Dalton got in August 2014. "Life experiences have made him more settled with himself.'' Jeremy Hill completes the first TD drive with an easy 8-yard run off right tackle. Second possession: First down from the KC 48. Dalton is flushed from the pocket, sets his feet and throws 27 yards to Rex Burkhead. The next play, Dalton is hurried again. He has nowhere to throw, so he keeps the ball and gains 2 yards. Zampese calls it a "fantastic'' play. "Three times, a scramble to salvage a play. When's the last time you've seen that from us?'' Again, the inference is that New Andy is making better decisions under duress. After the first drive, in which Dalton is 4-for-4 for 67 yards, Zampese says the Bengals' offense already has forced the Chiefs to abandon their man-to-man defensive philosophy. "We got them out of what they are and into something they're not, in their coverage and their fronts. We took their strengths away.'' There are any number of tangible reasons for Dalton's evolution this year: Stability in the organization (Zampese himself has been here since 2003), healthy wideouts and tight ends, a complete knowledge of the offense. "We're not limited by his football IQ. The only thing that limits you is your imagination as a coach,'' Zampese says. There is more to it than that. Great quarterbacking is about belief in yourself, but it's also about making everyone else believe. That is where Dalton might have gained the most ground. Zampese suggests the Bengals have coaxed Dalton's true personality out of him. They have convinced him to be who he is, not who he thinks they want him to be. "We don't want a different Andy,'' says Zampese. "We want more of the same guy. Whatever passion you have, show it. Personalities are great. It's when we don't let them out that we don't get the most out of ourselves. "We're seeing more of his personality daily, which shows up in leadership. The way he speaks, how he carries himself. Give us everything you are, all the time and don't hold back. And we'll be just fine.'' Why now, I ask Zampese. Why has New Andy flowered in Year 5? "Everybody goes at their own rate,'' the coach says. For four games at least, it has been worth the wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL DAUGHERTY Doc: New Andy Dalton shining in Year 5 Paul Daugherty, pdaugherty@enquirer.com2 hours ago The Enquirer/Sam Greene Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton calls the count at the line. The video is 100 percent truth, and it reveals perfection. Two possessions, 14 plays, 160 yards, two touchdowns. Seven plays and 80 yards each, symmetrical tributes to the quarterback the Bengals believe Andy Dalton is becoming. These were the first two drives last Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. They roll out silently on a screen in Bengals quarterback coach Ken Zampese's office at Paul Brown Stadium. I've asked what is different about Dalton in 2015, on the field. His off-field presence is obviously changed. Looser, more confident, a glide to his stride. Call it what you like. I'm not a football expert, but after 27 years here, I'm a decent study of personalities. Dalton's has undergone a makeover. How does that translate to Sundays? Zampese lets the video run. "I've got a free (pass rusher) coming at me. I'm just going to draw him to me and (throw) one over his head,'' says Zampese, describing the first play of the game. Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert jogs in motion left to right. Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali comes full blast off Dalton's right side. Dalton lofts the ball over Hali's head. Sixteen yards. "Andy has a backyard element to him that shows a feel for the game,'' Zampese says. Third-and-2, Bengals 44-yard line: Dalton in the shotgun, fields a groundball snap. "They have Hali and (Justin) Houston in there,'' says Zampese, two of the best pass rushers in the league. "They put three other D-linemen in the game, to make sure there's 1-on-1 (matchups) across the board.'' No double-teams to slow the rush. Dalton picks up the grounder, sees a backup Chiefs safety in man-to-man coverage against A.J. Green (the football version of stealing a baby's candy) and hits Green with a pass between the numbers for a 36-yard gain. "Scrambling around, having your wits about you, then dropping a dime. That's a positive,'' Zampese says. The implication is clear: In previous years, maybe Dalton gets flustered, takes a sack or makes a bad decision. This time he picks up the ball, knows who's covering Green because he saw it at the line of scrimmage before the snap, then calmly delivers a deep ball. Reasons for Dalton's improvement are offered in general terms. Zampese says the QB worked harder in the offseason. The offensive staff met with Dalton after last season and said, in Zampese's words, "We're not going to get past this unless we change what we're doing.'' Vague references are made to the influence Dalton's wife Jordan has had on what Zampese calls "the process.'' Marvin Lewis mentioned recently that Jordan Dalton is part of "the team.'' In a pre-draft interview with Sports Illustrated in 2011, the interviewer asked Dalton his favorite hobby. "Spending time with Jordan,'' he said. Show CaptionShare Media PreviousNext 1 of 12 Regardless, Zampese credits Dalton's willingness to do more. "The more you put in, the more you can demand from the people around you,'' he says. "He's more comfortable with what we're asking him to be. Baby-marriage-contract,'' Zampese explains, referring to the birth of Dalton's son and the contract extension Dalton got in August 2014. "Life experiences have made him more settled with himself.'' Jeremy Hill completes the first TD drive with an easy 8-yard run off right tackle. Second possession: First down from the KC 48. Dalton is flushed from the pocket, sets his feet and throws 27 yards to Rex Burkhead. The next play, Dalton is hurried again. He has nowhere to throw, so he keeps the ball and gains 2 yards. Zampese calls it a "fantastic'' play. "Three times, a scramble to salvage a play. When's the last time you've seen that from us?'' Again, the inference is that New Andy is making better decisions under duress. After the first drive, in which Dalton is 4-for-4 for 67 yards, Zampese says the Bengals' offense already has forced the Chiefs to abandon their man-to-man defensive philosophy. "We got them out of what they are and into something they're not, in their coverage and their fronts. We took their strengths away.'' There are any number of tangible reasons for Dalton's evolution this year: Stability in the organization (Zampese himself has been here since 2003), healthy wideouts and tight ends, a complete knowledge of the offense. "We're not limited by his football IQ. The only thing that limits you is your imagination as a coach,'' Zampese says. There is more to it than that. Great quarterbacking is about belief in yourself, but it's also about making everyone else believe. That is where Dalton might have gained the most ground. Zampese suggests the Bengals have coaxed Dalton's true personality out of him. They have convinced him to be who he is, not who he thinks they want him to be. "We don't want a different Andy,'' says Zampese. "We want more of the same guy. Whatever passion you have, show it. Personalities are great. It's when we don't let them out that we don't get the most out of ourselves. "We're seeing more of his personality daily, which shows up in leadership. The way he speaks, how he carries himself. Give us everything you are, all the time and don't hold back. And we'll be just fine.'' Why now, I ask Zampese. Why has New Andy flowered in Year 5? "Everybody goes at their own rate,'' the coach says. For four games at least, it has been worth the wait.
Natifan Posted October 10, 2015 Report Share Posted October 10, 2015 Andy just looks different this year. He's zipping the ball on a rope down field instead of his lob arching passes we have been accustom to.Coaching staff giving him more freedom to make plays.....bout time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted October 10, 2015 Report Share Posted October 10, 2015 My eyes.. What's up with the caps lock, Doc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Bengal Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 My eyes.. What's up with the caps lock, Doc?It's probably because I cut and pasted that article with my phone instead of my desktop. Things don't work so well with my phone since the upgrade... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.