Arkansas Bengal Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 To be among the best, Andy Dalton must play like the best under lights Night games and Andy Dalton haven't been a good combination thus far in his career, but he'll have a chance to overcome that stigma starting Thursday. Jason Bridge/USA TODAY Sports Coley Harvey, ESPN Staff Writer CINCINNATI -- The No. 1 reason why Thursday night's game is important for the Cincinnati Bengals is because of what a possible win over the Cleveland Browns would mean. A victory would propel the Bengals to a never-before-seen 8-0 record and would continue to extend their already-massive lead over the rest of the AFC North. As important as that is, a win, or at least a well-played game from Cincinnati's offense, could also cement Andy Dalton's legitimacy as an MVP candidate. Already this season we've stated a case for why the fifth-year quarterback should be in the middle of that conversation. Sure, New England's Tom Brady might be playing at another level right now with his league-low one interception, but Dalton can't be far behind. The quarterback of a team that wasn't expected to be this dominant a contender, Dalton has a chance to really upset the balance of quarterbacking power by the end of November. With a string of primetime games coming up, the country will get to see just how legitimate he and his team really are. To be truly considered one of the NFL's best quarterbacks this season, Dalton will have to finally play at an elite level under the lights. Following Thursday night's game, the Bengals host Houston for the Week 10 Monday night game. The following Sunday, they travel to Arizona for a game that was just flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot. Short of winning a playoff game, the one thing Dalton hasn't consistently done throughout his career is win on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights. Last year's late-season Monday night win over Denver proved he could do it, but now it's time he strings together multiple performances like that one. After all, the league's best signal-callers have done exactly that over the years. Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning have been the best at showing up when the regular-season stage is at its brightest. Dalton hasn't. According to ESPN Stats & Information, those four quarterbacks have the four-highest Total QBR in prime time since 2006. During games with a 7 p.m. ET or later kickoff, Dalton has ranked 30th out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks. The Bengals' 3-7 record in primetime games that he's started hasn't been anything to be proud of, either. If Dalton wants to continue to be taken seriously, he'll rectify that these next three weeks. He can't let another performance like the 2.0 passer rating he had in last year's Thursday night game against the Browns creep into his play. His offensive coordinator doesn't foresee that happening. "He's a totally different guy, and he needed to be different," Hue Jackson said. "You have to get yourself out of funks. Funks are going to happen every now and then. It's pro football. "You live with that and you move on from it and you don't let it eat you up. Maybe in the past it might have bothered him, but that's just part of it now. You have to keep going." You can see what Jackson means when you look at the way Dalton rallied the Bengals after throwing his third and fourth interceptions of the season in last Sunday's win at Pittsburgh. Clearly Dalton wasn't rattled by the turnovers and he confidently led his offense on a late touchdown drive that ultimately won the game. When similar situations of adversity hit these next three weeks, Dalton must exhibit that resilience and calm play again. If he doesn't, he can kiss goodbye any plans of being an elite quarterback this season. http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/19899/bengals-andy-dalton-prime-time-best-among-the-best-play-like-them-lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooky Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Harvey sucks. Eough about the fucking lights. They beat Denver the last game. They usually play tough teams and don't fare well. That's the problem, not the fucking lights. But if they lose to the turds and the texans, I may change my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphead Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 He's exactly right. The mistake he makes is just talking about Dalton. It's really all the "skins on the wall" players from the whole team. This is not an understatement at all: HOF legacies can get jump started for some players in the next 3 primetime games.All you have to do is look back to a preseason nationally televised game of Raiders vs. Cardinals. Khalil Mack was dominate in a preseason game against an in-flux O-line at the time. That performance instantly put him there as a big time player. He's overrated not because he isn't good but because people hold on to that performance and make him out to be a HOF defender. He has 4 sacks so far.Dunlap/Atkins/Burfict - Could easily be considered among the best defenders in the league. Burfict is know mostly for negative reputation. Atkins rarely gets mentioned considering how much his recovery hurt the Bengals last year and his rebound has helped them this year. With 5 sacks as a DT and everydown performance this guy needs to be mentioned in contention for Defensive Player of the year. Dunlap a similar case to be made.Dalton - Right on the money. If he wants to have any shot at MVP he has to deliver big time these next 3 primetime games. It could forever change his perception amongst the National Media. AJ Green - among the best. Has gotten some credit but has faded. Right before his 200 yard vs. Ravens - Boomer didn't have him in his top 5 and nobody on the CBS set dare even mentioned his name as being left off. Hue - probably already a hot candidate. He will be off the charts in demand if the offense gets smoking hot in the primetime games.Whitworth, Boling, Z, Andre Smith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 We do play poorly under the lights, sorry but it is true. I think we change that with this team though, they just have a different look/feel to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemdawg Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Until theres a super bowl ring on Daltons hand, he will not be considered an elite qb. The stats of a few years are not enough.Sent from my SPH-L710T using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Harvey sucks. Eough about the fucking lights. They beat Denver the last game. They usually play tough teams and don't fare well. That's the problem, not the fucking lights. But if they lose to the turds and the texans, I may change my mind.100% correctSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 We do play poorly under the lights, sorry but it is true. I think we change that with this team though, they just have a different look/feel to them.Yes we even came out flat against the lowly Browns. You get behind against a .500 team and it may not be so easy after half timeSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 They could be 14-0 and the same people would be saying that week 15 is the REAL test etc etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enon Bengal Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Are you talking about the national media or the members here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeb Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 To be among the best, Andy Dalton must play like the best under lights Night games and Andy Dalton haven't been a good combination thus far in his career, but he'll have a chance to overcome that stigma starting Thursday. Jason Bridge/USA TODAY Sports Coley Harvey, ESPN Staff Writer CINCINNATI -- The No. 1 reason why Thursday night's game is important for the Cincinnati Bengals is because of what a possible win over the Cleveland Browns would mean. A victory would propel the Bengals to a never-before-seen 8-0 record and would continue to extend their already-massive lead over the rest of the AFC North. As important as that is, a win, or at least a well-played game from Cincinnati's offense, could also cement Andy Dalton's legitimacy as an MVP candidate. Already this season we've stated a case for why the fifth-year quarterback should be in the middle of that conversation. Sure, New England's Tom Brady might be playing at another level right now with his league-low one interception, but Dalton can't be far behind. The quarterback of a team that wasn't expected to be this dominant a contender, Dalton has a chance to really upset the balance of quarterbacking power by the end of November. With a string of primetime games coming up, the country will get to see just how legitimate he and his team really are. Notable Quarterbacks in Primetime Games Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady rank 1-4 in Total QBR in prime-time games dating back to 2006. Andy Dalton's Total QBR ranks 30th out of 34 qualified quarterbacks in prime-time games during that time. Name W-L TD-Int Total QBR* *since 2006 Info courtesy of ESPN Stats and Information Peyton Manning 44-17 183-53 80 Aaron Rodgers 18-11 63-16 75 Drew Brees 28-13 93-31 74 Tom Brady 37-14 109-34 72 Andy Dalton 3-7 11-11 26 To be truly considered one of the NFL's best quarterbacks this season, Dalton will have to finally play at an elite level under the lights. Following Thursday night's game, the Bengals host Houston for the Week 10 Monday night game. The following Sunday, they travel to Arizona for a game that was just flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot. Short of winning a playoff game, the one thing Dalton hasn't consistently done throughout his career is win on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights. Last year's late-season Monday night win over Denver proved he could do it, but now it's time he strings together multiple performances like that one. After all, the league's best signal-callers have done exactly that over the years. Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning have been the best at showing up when the regular-season stage is at its brightest. Dalton hasn't. According to ESPN Stats & Information, those four quarterbacks have the four-highest Total QBR in prime time since 2006. During games with a 7 p.m. ET or later kickoff, Dalton has ranked 30th out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks. The Bengals' 3-7 record in primetime games that he's started hasn't been anything to be proud of, either. If Dalton wants to continue to be taken seriously, he'll rectify that these next three weeks. He can't let another performance like the 2.0 passer rating he had in last year's Thursday night game against the Browns creep into his play. His offensive coordinator doesn't foresee that happening. "He's a totally different guy, and he needed to be different," Hue Jackson said. "You have to get yourself out of funks. Funks are going to happen every now and then. It's pro football. "You live with that and you move on from it and you don't let it eat you up. Maybe in the past it might have bothered him, but that's just part of it now. You have to keep going." You can see what Jackson means when you look at the way Dalton rallied the Bengals after throwing his third and fourth interceptions of the season in last Sunday's win at Pittsburgh. Clearly Dalton wasn't rattled by the turnovers and he confidently led his offense on a late touchdown drive that ultimately won the game. When similar situations of adversity hit these next three weeks, Dalton must exhibit that resilience and calm play again. If he doesn't, he can kiss goodbye any plans of being an elite quarterback this season. http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/19899/bengals-andy-dalton-prime-time-best-among-the-best-play-like-them-lights Andy doesn't give a crap about the lights, ...it's about beating the next team. On to Hoyer, ...let's bury him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Andy doesn't give a crap about the lights, ...it's about beating the next team.On to Hoyer, ...let's bury him!Again Harvey is correct. He's not talking about beating a team but rather getting individual recognition. Andy himself admitted bury inglast year's Cleveland game was important. It's a factor whether we as fans want to admit or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthPaw Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 warning....warning.......butt hurt fans alert~!! it cracks me up that people get so mad at the truth. ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 We do play poorly under the lights, sorry but it is true. I think we change that with this team though, they just have a different look/feel to them.I was praying and hoping you are right. I fear it's one and done no matter how successful our season is this year. I'm still a fan and always will be. Just not getting my hopes upSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I was praying and hoping you are right. I fear it's one and done no matter how successful our season is this year. I'm still a fan and always will be. Just not getting my hopes up Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkAt least it wasnt a whole team taking a dump in prime time, the D played well.The O?.... Not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Bruce Arians is going to take that recipe of Houston Texans and kick our ass. With no running threat this team is easily contained. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphead Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 OMG stay away from national sports radio today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Bengal Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 OMG stay away from national sports radio today. Yeah I'm not gonna be posting all the national articles this week about how the Bengals are 'pretenders' how Andy Dalton chokes under the lights, etc. Defense played really well (would have been nice to have a turnover that mattered) but anytime you hold a team to 10 points you should win the game.Dalton didn't play great, but the whole offense shit the bed. Dalton didn't drop 3 passes (one of which would have been a TD), Dalton didn't run block like shit, Dalton didn't fumble the ball as they were driving for the go ahead TD.ON TO ARIZONA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 OMG stay away from national sports radio today. I didn't know what red Ryder was, so I googled red Ryder BB gun. Dalton and Watt came up. That sucks for Dalton to forever be linked to that tagSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Yeah I'm not gonna be posting all the national articles this week about how the Bengals are 'pretenders' how Andy Dalton chokes under the lights, etc. Defense played really well (would have been nice to have a turnover that mattered) but anytime you hold a team to 10 points you should win the game.Dalton didn't play great, but the whole offense shit the bed. Dalton didn't drop 3 passes (one of which would have been a TD), Dalton didn't run block like shit, Dalton didn't fumble the ball as they were driving for the go ahead TD.ON TO ARIZONA!7 offensive penalties too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I didn't know what red Ryder was, so I googled red Ryder BB gun. Dalton and Watt came up. That sucks for Dalton to forever be linked to that tag Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkSeriously?? Man you have lived a deprived life if you have never seen "The Christmas Story"... put that shit on Netflix like yesterday!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Nah never did my man. I'll check it out this holiday season. Hope this game reference doesn't pop into my head and ruin movie experience :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Nah never did my man. I'll check it out this holiday season. Hope this game reference doesn't pop into my head and ruin movie experience :-) Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkOh you have to watch it, it is the greatest Christmas movie ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Thanks. I'll watch it Christmas Eve Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhodeIslandFan Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Yeah I'm not gonna be posting all the national articles this week about how the Bengals are 'pretenders' how Andy Dalton chokes under the lights, etc. Defense played really well (would have been nice to have a turnover that mattered) but anytime you hold a team to 10 points you should win the game.Dalton didn't play great, but the whole offense shit the bed. Dalton didn't drop 3 passes (one of which would have been a TD), Dalton didn't run block like shit, Dalton didn't fumble the ball as they were driving for the go ahead TD.ON TO ARIZONA!Do we have anyone on practice squad that could replace Hill?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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