Will Andy Dalton Regain His Championship Form In 2016?
The 2015 season was a surprise for the Cincinnati Bengals and even more for the analysts. The consensus was a second or third place finish. That finish and eventual Wild Card berth depended on Andy Dalton. Dalton was able to dazzle the pundits with a year that amazed even Bengals fans. Will he be able to regain his form for the 2o16 campaign? Most signs point to Dalton being just as dominant.
Dalton improved in nearly every significant statistical category this year. He even threw for more touchdowns this year in 13 games (25) than he did through 16 games in 2011 (20) and 2014 (19). That improvement was due to a better understanding of the system and the guidance of Hue Jackson.
A deeper inspection of Dalton’s stats, via ESPN, shows that his touchdown to interception ratio was a tremendous turnaround. Dalton threw 3.57 touchdowns for every interception he tossed this past season. That ratio was dramatically better than what he had in his first four seasons, when he averaged 1.50 per TD. His lowest amount of interceptions was 13, coming when he was a rookie. Last season Dalton had a mere seven.
There’s widespread speculation that Dalton will go through a period of regression, with the loss of Hue Jackson to mentor him. Those hoping to back that theory will have to wait a long time. Offensive coordinator Ken Zampese has been around during Dalton’s growing pains. He’s had a huge hand in grooming the AFC’s Passing Champion.
In 2011, Zampese and then offensive coordinator Jay Gruden agreed that Dalton was worth a longer look. They both agreed that of all the guys outside of Cam Newton, in that year’s draft, Andy Dalton would be a quarterback to build a franchise around.
“In my mind he’s the guy I had the most confidence in because I could see him doing the things we wanted on offense,” Zampese says. “He was tough, he had played a lot of college football, and he had the kind of personality that fit me, so I could see it. He was a very smart guy that wants to be knowledgeable. He prides himself on his football IQ and will work at it.”
Zampese came into the NFL the same year Peyton Manning did. He’s been involved in the evolution of quarterbacks doing more with line-of-scrimmage calls. Thus, he’s been Dalton’s secret weapon all along.
Dalton has impressed those who matter in the media and those who are behind the scenes as well. Greg Cosell, scout for NFL Films, has turned his negative view of Dalton around. Having been a firm critic of Dalton’s accuracy, Cosell has seen a different side of the Bengals signal caller.
“If he’s efficient, he can be a very successful quarterback,” Cosell explained. “He’s a director and an orchestrator. He’s not going to make oh my God throws, but if he just orchestrates the offense he’s a very good player.Look at it. He’s been a pretty good quarterback for five years.”
Dalton is turning heads in the media, with fans and definitely with the teams that have to face him. He’s in good hands with Zampese. He’s also under the guidance of quarterback’s guru Tom House. With a healthy thumb and an even better work ethic, Dalton will be more than ready for 2016.
[Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images]
