Andy Dalton went 50-26-1 in his first five seasons
Giovani Bernard Jersey , leading the Bengals to the postseason four years in a row. But the quarterback has gone only 18-24-1 the past three seasons.New
coach Zac Taylor, though, continues to say all the right things about
Dalton.Taylor was asked Wednesday about wanting to bring in competition for
Dalton, with a follow-up question about drafting a quarterback to develop behind
Dalton.“I think it?? important every backup in our building is competing for a
job,” Taylor said. “I think Andy has a really bright future in what we are going
to do. He?? had a great career. I??e always watched him from afar. I have never
really interacted with him until I got this job.“Andy is going to be very
successful. He fits what we want to do. He?? smart. He gets the ball out on
time. He?? accurate. He understands what the defenses are presenting to him. So
I?? excited to get a chance to work with him. He?? going to have a bright future
here.”For now, Dalton remains the Bengals’ best option at the position.
CINCINNATI (AP)Carlos Dunlap knew he couldn’t get to the quarterback, so he
threw up his hands. Moments later, the ball settled into them, and the defensive
lineman was off for the end zone. A freaky play? Absolutely. It was exactly what
the Cincinnati Bengals needed to carry hope forward for another week. Dunlap’s
16-yard interception return in the fourth quarter sent Cincinnati to a 24-23
victory over Indianapolis on Sunday that gave the Bengals (3-4) a temporary
reprieve and left the Colts (2-6) wondering what’s next in a season that’s run
aground at the halfway point. ”We have to use this as momentum to keep it going
and find ways to win
Michael Johnson jersey ,” said Andy Dalton, who was under heavy pressure most of the game. ”If we do that, we’ll put ourselves right back in this thing.”
By contrast, the Colts came away with more questions about how low they will go.
They’ve lost three in a row for the first time since 2015. Coach Chuck Pagano’s
future in Indianapolis has become a topic of conversation. ”If you don’t give
up, it will turn,” Pagano said. ”When that is, I don’t have a crystal ball. But
if you go the other way, I know what the outcome will be. That’s not this team.
They will never do that.” The Colts have no idea when Andrew Luck might be back
from shoulder surgery. He had to stop throwing earlier this month after a
setback in his rehabilitation program. Backup Jacoby Brissett played much better
on Sunday, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and getting the Colts in position
for a rejuvenating road win. His sideline throw in the fourth quarter was batted
by Dunlap
Kevin Huber Jersey , who then plucked the ball from the air and returned Brissett’s only interception in the past three games. The 6-foot-6 defensive end
led NFL linemen in batting passes away last season, when he made the Pro Bowl
for the second straight season. ”Carlos is a freak of a talent with how big he
is and how fast he is,” receiver A.J. Green said. ”We needed that.” The Colts
had a chance at the end, reaching midfield before Brissett was hit on a
fourth-down pass that fell incomplete. ”At some point, good luck will come our
way,” receiver T.Y. Hilton said. ”It just didn’t go our way today.” Some
takeaways from Paul Brown Stadium: GETTING A JUMP: Coach Marvin Lewis got on
Dunlap earlier in the game for easing up and trying to knock down a pass instead
of going after Brissett. Dunlap was second on the team with eight sacks last
season, and the Bengals think he could get more if he goes after the quarterback
instead of stopping to raise his arms. ”We always tell Carlos, `Stop jumping,
stop jumping
Clint Boling Jersey , stop jumping – go rush the quarterback,” linebacker Vontaze Burfict said. ”And now we can tell him to keep jumping, I guess.”
BENGALS’ INADEQUATE OFFENSE: Dalton was frequently chased from the pocket as
Cincinnati’s offensive line struggled to give the quarterback time. Also,
Cincinnati rushed for only 58 yards, which included Dalton’s 10 yards on
scrambles and receiver Alex Erickson’s 14-yard run. In a 29-14 loss at
Pittsburgh the previous game, the Bengals managed only one first down and 19
yards in the second half as the line also got overwhelmed. BRISSETT HAS MORE
TIME: After the quarterback was sacked 10 times and hit 20 times overall during
a 27-0 loss to Jacksonville a week ago, receiver T.Y. Hilton said the line had
to do a better job protecting Brissett. Hilton later apologized. The line did
much better against the Bengals, giving up four sacks. Brissett was 25 of 39 for
233 yards with two touchdowns and the tipped interception. DOYLE’S BIG GAME: The
Bengals clamped down on Hilton, who was targeted seven times but managed only
two catches for 15 yards. Tight end Jack Doyle wound up with 12 catches for 121
yards and a touchdown
Vincent Rey Jersey , taking advantage of the Bengals’ coverage. ”The ball was finding me,” Doyle said. ”That’s the way it goes sometimes.” VINATIERI NO. 2:
Adam Vinatieri had three field goals and was hoping for a chance to try for his
28th game-winning kick in the final minute, but the Colts couldn’t get close
enough. Vinatieri moved into a tie with Gary Anderson for second-most points in
NFL history with 2,434. —
