playerprofile.aspx?ID=1925)
This article was researched and compiled
Position: Quarterback
Roster
Status: Active
Personal
Information:
Born: October 29th,
1987
Birthplace: Katy, Texas
Height: 6 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 220 lb.
Career
Information:
High
School: Katy
College: TCU (2006 – 2010)
NFL Draft: 2011: 2nd round, 35th
overall pick
Career History:
- Cincinnati
Bengals 2011 – 2019
- Dallas
Cowboys 2020
- Chicago
Bears 2021
- New
Orleans Saints 2022
- Carolina Panthers 2023 – Present
Awards
and Highlights:
· 3x Pro Bowl 2011, 2014, 2016
· 2x Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year 2009, 2010
· 2x First – Team All – Mountain West 2009, 2010
Andy Dalton is currently the backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL. Nicknamed “the Red Rifle”, he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, where he became the school’s leader in quarterback wins and won the 2011 Rose Bowl(1). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.(2)
During his
first nine seasons with the Bengals, Dalton led the team to five consecutive
playoff appearances from 2011 to 2015 and received three Pro Bowl
selections. In his first season, he and
wide receiver A.J. Green set records for completions and yards by a rookie
quarterback / receiver combination(3). Dalton also set the Bengals franchise records
for passing touchdowns, single – season passing yards, and single – season
passing touchdowns.(4)
Despite
his regular season success, Dalton went winless in the playoffs and was
released by the Bengals in 2020 following four consecutive losing seasons. He spent his next three seasons alternating
as a starter and backup with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans
Saints for one year each. Dalton joined
the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
Early
Life:
Dalton
attended Katy High School in Katy, Texas, where he played for the Tigers
football team. He split time as a junior
in 2004 and then started only one full season at quarterback for Katy High as a
senior in 2005. That year, he led the
Tigers to the state finals, where they lost to Southlake Carroll 34 – 20. As a senior, he threw for 2,877 yards with 42
touchdowns and 15 interceptions(5).
That year, he was named the Greater Houston Area offensive player of the
year by the Houston Chronicle.(6)
College Career
Photo Credit:
Dalton
committed to Texas Christian University on October 19th, 2005.(7)
2006 and 2007 seasons:
Dalton was
redshirted his freshman year, but he traveled with the team to every road game
and was listed as the Horned Frogs’ third – string quarterback behind senior
Jeff Ballard and redshirt freshman Marcus Jackson(8). Entering the 2007 season, Dalton was in
competition with Jackson to be the starting quarterback. Two weeks before the season opener against
Baylor, TCU head coach Gary Patterson named Dalton the starter(9). He was named the 2007 Texas Bowl MVP in TCU’s
20 – 13 victory over Houston(10).
Dalton finished his redshirt freshman season with 2,459 passing yards,
ten touchdowns, and 11 interceptions(11). After going 8 – 5 as a freshman, he
accumulated a record of 34 – 3 as a starter for the rest of his career at TCU.(12)
2008
season:
In the
2008 season, Dalton led TCU to an 11 – 2 record, finishing second place in the
Mountain West Conference and seventh in the national AP Poll(13). He was named the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl MVP in
the Horned Frogs’ 17 – 16 win over Boise State(14). He finished the 2008 season with 2,242
passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions.(15)
2009
season:
In the
2009 season, Dalton led the Horned Frogs to a perfect 12 – 0 regular season, a
Mountain West Conference Championship, a #6 ranking in the AP Poll, and a Bowl
Championship Series (BCS) berth(16).
The Horned Frogs lost 17 – 10 in the Fiesta Bowl to Boise State(17). He finished the 2009 season with 2,756
passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.(18)
2010
season:
On
September 4th, 2010, Dalton recorded his 30th victory as
the Horned Frogs starting quarterback, passing Sammy Baugh as TCU’s all – time
win leader. Against Baylor, Dalton
completed 21 of 23 pass attempts (a career – best and single – game record
91.3%) for 267 yards and two touchdowns(19). His team won a second consecutive Mountain
West Conference Championship. On January
1st, 2011, Dalton led his team to a 21 – 19 victory over #4
Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California(20). His TCU football team finished the season
with a perfect 13 – 0 record and #2 ranking in the AP Poll(21)(22). Auburn, the only other team with a perfect
record, won the BCS National Championship that year(23). Dalton finished the 2010 season with 2,857
passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and six interceptions(24). He finished in ninth place on the Heisman
Trophy voting.(25)
Dalton
held school records for wins (42), passing yards (10,314), pass attempts
(1,317), completions (812), and completion percentage (61.6) at the time he
graduated, but a few years later, Trevone Boykin surpassed most of Dalton’s
records(26). Dalton also held
the Mountain West career leader in total offense (11,925 yards) and plays from
scrimmage (1,730).(27)
College
Statistics:
.jpg)
Professional Career
.jpg)
Photo Credit:
2011
season:
On April
29th, 2011, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Dalton in the second
round, as the 35th overall pick, in the 2011 NFL draft(31). Out of the twelve quarterbacks that were
chosen in the 2011 NFL draft, he was the fifth selected.(32)
After
Dalton was selected by the Bengals, there was much speculation over whether
Dalton or veteran Bruce Gradkowski would start at quarterback. Carson Palmer , the first overall draft pick
in the 2003 NFL draft, demanded to be traded or released and was traded later
in the season to the Oakland Raiders. On
June 29th, 2011, the Bengals signed Dalton to a four – year, $5.21
million dollar rookie contract with a $2.29 million dollar signing bonus and
$4.02 million dollars guaranteed.(33)
On August
8th, 2011, before their first pre – season game versus the Detroit
Lions, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis released his first depth chart per NFL
rules but noted that it meant little.
The depth chart had Dalton listed as the first – string quarterback,
followed by Gradkowski.(34)
Dalton’s
first NFL regular – season start came on September 11th, 2011, on
the road against the Cleveland Browns.
Dalton, in one half of play before leaving the game due to injury,
completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown, posting a
passer rating of 102.4. The Bengals won
the game, 27 – 17, Dalton’s first divisional AFC North victory as well as first
win against the divisional rival Browns(35). Dalton’s second game was also on the road,
against the Denver Broncos. Despite a 24
– 22 loss, he led a comeback, combining 19 of 29 pass attempts for 280 yards
and two touchdowns in the second half alone, and achieving a passer rating of
107.0 for the game(36).
During a week 6 27 – 17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Dalton
completed 25 of 32 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. In that game, he had a season – high 78.1
completion percentage and 111.5 passer rating.(37)
On
November 3rd, 2011, Dalton was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the
Month for October. He led the Bengals to
a 4 – 0 record with 909 passing yards and six touchdowns in the month(38). During week 9, Dalton threw for 217 yards and
a season – high three touchdowns with no interceptions against the Tennessee
Titans in a comeback 24 – 17 victory, earning him Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week
honors(39). Three weeks
later, Dalton passed for 270 yards and a touchdown for a 105.6 passer rating in
a comeback 23 – 20 victory over the Browns, again winning Rookie of the
Week. This game featured a 51 – yard
strike from Dalton to A.J. Green with only 1:08 remaining in the fourth
quarter, setting up the Bengals’ game – winning field goal(40). By the end of the season, Dalton had led the
Bengals to a 9 – 7 record and a berth in the NFL playoffs.(41)
On January
7th, 2012, the Bengals faced the T.J. Yates – led Houston Texans in
the wild – card round of the NFL playoffs.
This game marked the first time in NFL playoff history that two rookie
quarterbacks started in the same game against each other(42). Dalton completed over 64 percent of his
passes but also had three turnovers as the Texans won the game, 31 – 10.(43)
During his
rookie season, Dalton had four wins featuring fourth – quarter comebacks (vs.
Buffalo, at Jacksonville, at Tennessee, and vs. Cleveland). He became the first quarterback in NFL
history not drafted in the first round to start all 16 games of his rookie
season. Dalton became just one of five
rookie quarterbacks with over 3,000 passing yards and at least 20 touchdown
passes, joining fellow rookie Cam Newton and also Peyton Manning, Dan Marino,
and Charlie Conerly.(4)
At the end
of the season, Dalton received the Emerging Player of the Year Award from the
NFL Players Association during the NFLPA PULSE Awards. The other nominees for the award were
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy
Graham, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, and Lions defensive
tackle Ndamukong Suh.(44)
Dalton was
named initially as a Pro Bowl Alternate in his first year, and was added to the
American Football Conference (AFC) Pro Bowl roster after the Patriots won the
AFC Championship, forcing Tom Brady to withdraw(45)(46). Dalton and Newton became the first pair of
rookie quarterbacks to make the Pro Bowl in the same season.(47)
2012
season:
During
week 2, Dalton guided the Bengals to a 34 – 27 victory over the Browns. He completed 24 of 31 passes for 318 yards,
three touchdowns, and an interception, for a 128.2 passer rating(48). In the next game against the Washington
Redskins, Dalton completed 19 – of – 27 passes for 318 yards, three touchdowns,
and an interception, for a season – high 132.9 passer rating, in leading the
Bengals to a 38 – 31 road victory(49). Furthermore, he lined up as a wide receiver
on the first play from scrimmage of the game, acting as a decoy while wildcat
quarterback Mohamed Sanu threw a 73 – yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green, then
again flanked as a receiver while BenJarvus Green – Ellis rushed for a
touchdown via a direct snap. The
following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dalton threw for 244 yards and
had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in leading the Bengals to a 27
– 10 road victory.(50)
On October
14th, 2012, Dalton threw for a career – high 381 yards to go with
three touchdowns against the Browns, but also threw three interceptions as the
Bengals lost 34 – 24(51).
This was the second game in what would become a four – game losing
streak. Dalton and the Bengals rebounded
by defeating the New York Giants by a score of 31 – 13. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 199 yards
and a season – high four touchdowns, attaining a 127.6 passer rating and a
season – high 94.5 total quarterback rating (QBR)(52). For his performance against the Giants,
Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his
career(53)(54). In the next
game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dalton completed 18 of 29 passes for 230
yards and two touchdowns thrown (a 109.8 passer rating) while adding a rushing
touchdown in the 28 – 6 road victory.(55)
On
November 25th, 2012, in a much – hyped game with the Raiders due to
the return of former Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to Cincinnati, Dalton
outperformed Palmer by throwing for 210 yards and three touchdowns, achieving a
109.0 passer rating, and leading the Bengals to a 34 – 10 victory(56). In the fourth quarter, an unnecessary
roughness penalty by Lamarr Houston on Dalton was one part of a sequence of
events leading to ejections of Andrew Whitworth, Tommy Kelly, and Houston from
the game. With his performance, Dalton
became one of three players in NFL history with at least 20 touchdowns passes
in each of his first two seasons, joining Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.(57)
In two of
the next three following weeks, Dalton’s mobility proved to be valuable as he
scrambled for the go – ahead touchdown runs in victories over the San Diego
Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. On
December 23rd, 2012, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, his 21 – yard
pass to A.J. Green with fourteen seconds remaining set up the game – winning
field goal, propelling the Bengals to a 13 – 10 road victory and a second
consecutive berth in the NFL playoffs(58). This game marked the first time Dalton was
able to defeat the divisional Steelers, and the first time the Bengals made the
playoffs in consecutive seasons since 1981 – 1982(59). The following week, Dalton threw for a
touchdown and a 101.5 quarterback rating in one half of play in a 23 – 17
victory over the Baltimore Ravens. This
marked his first victory over the divisional rival Ravens and capped a 10 – 6
regular – season record.(60)
On January
5th, 2013, Dalton and the Bengals faced the Texans in the Wild Card
Round of the playoffs. In a defensive
struggle with neither Dalton nor Texans quarterback Matt Schaub able to pass
for a touchdown, the Bengals lost 19 – 13, the second consecutive year the
Bengals fell to the Texans in the opening round of the playoffs. With 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter,
Dalton overthrew an open A.J. Green for what would have been the go – ahead
touchdown.(61)
2013
season:
In the
season opener against the Chicago Bears, Dalton completed 26 of 33 passes for a
career – high 78.8 completion percentage, 282 yards, two touchdowns, two
interceptions, and a 91.8 QBR as the Bengals lost on the road by a score of 24
– 21(62)(63). In the next
game, he threw for 280 yards and a touchdown as the Bengals beat the Steelers
by a score of 20 – 10(64).
The following week, Dalton completed 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards, two
touchdowns, and an interception for a 105.5 passer rating in leading the
Bengals to a 34 – 30 victory over the Green Bay Packers.(65)
On October
13th, 2013, after two games without a touchdown pass (in a loss at
the Browns and a victory over the Patriots), Dalton rebounded by completing 26
of 40 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception for a 105.9
passer rating in a 27 – 24 overtime road victory over the Buffalo Bills(66). For his efforts in that game, Dalton was
named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week(67). In the next game, he completed 24 of 34
passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns for a 92.8 QBR and a 135.9 passer
rating in leading the Bengals to a 27 – 24 road victory over the Lions(68). The following week, Dalton completed 19 of 30
passes for 325 yards, a career – high five touchdowns, and an interception in
merely three quarters of play for a 125.7 passer rating and a career – high
98.9 QBR in a 49 – 9 victory over the New York Jets(69). At the end of October, Dalton was named AFC
Offensive Player of the Month.(70)
On October
31st, 2013, Dalton began another difficult two – game stretch. He passed for 338 yards against the Miami
Dolphins but also had three interceptions, most critically one that bounced off
the hands of Mohamed Sanu that if caught by Sanu likely would have sealed a
victory for the Bengals, who ended up losing on the road by a score of 22 – 20
in overtime; Dalton was sacked by Cameron Wake in the end zone in overtime for
a safety to end the game(71).
In the next game against the Ravens, Dalton passed for 274 yards and two
touchdowns, most notably a 51 – yard Hail Mary touchdown pass against the wind
to A.J. Green as time expired in regulation but also had three interceptions as
the Bengals lost on the road in overtime by a score of 20 – 17.(72) Dalton continued his struggles against the
Browns, as he threw two interceptions in the first quarter. However, he rebounded to throw three
consecutive touchdowns as the Bengals won by a score of 41 – 20(73). After an early interception at the Chargers,
Dalton again rebounded by passing for 149 yards and a touchdown in the second
half as the Bengals won on the road by a score of 17 – 10.(74)
On
December 8th, 2013, Dalton continued his upswing. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 275 yards
and four total touchdowns against the Colts, attaining an 89.2 QBR and 120.5
passer rating in a 42 – 28 victory(75). Although the Bengals lost at the Steelers the
following week, Dalton was able to pass for 230 yards and two touchdowns while
overcoming six dropped passes by his receivers(76). For the second time in the 2013 season, he
earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors(77). Dalton continued his December success the
following week by completing 27 of 38 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns
for a 92.0 QBR and a career – high 136.5 passer rating in a 42 – 14 victory
over the Minnesota Vikings(78).
With this game, Dalton and the Bengals became the 2013 AFC North
Division Champions and Dalton had earned his third consecutive berth to the NFL
playoffs, becoming just one of five NFL quarterbacks to make the playoffs in
each of his first three seasons. While
the Bengals beat the Ravens 34 – 17 the following week, Dalton struggled,
scoring three total touchdowns and passing for 281 yards but also four
interceptions.(79)
Dalton
finished the regular season with 4,293 passing yards for 34 passing touchdowns,
20 interceptions, and an 88.8 passer rating.
His passing yards and touchdowns were both career highs and Bengals
single – season franchise records. In
the Bengals’ wildcard playoff games against the Chargers, Dalton threw his
first NFL postseason touchdown pass.
However, he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, on three
consecutive possessions in the second half, as the Bengals lost by a score of
27 – 10. After the game, Dalton was
heavily criticized for his poor play and consistent failure to advance in the
playoffs(80). In his eight
2013 primetime (Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night
Football, playoffs), and / or AFC North intradivisional games, Dalton completed
192 of 349 passes (50.0 completion percentage) for 2,036 passing yards, 5.83
yards per attempt, 11 passing touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a 63.6 passer
rating. In his other nine games of 2013,
Dalton completed 200 of 288 passes (69.4 completion percentage) for 2,594
passing yards, 9.01 yards per attempt, 23 passing touchdowns, seven
interceptions, and a 114 passer rating.
Such performances have raised doubt about whether Dalton is a “big –
game” quarterback.(81)
2014
season:
On August
4th, 2014, Dalton received a six – year extension that could be
worth as much as $115 million dollars, with team performance – based
incentives.(82)
During the
season – opening 23 – 16 victory over the Ravens, Dalton threw the game –
winning 77 – yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green.
It was Dalton’s first win on the road against the Ravens(83). During a week 3 33 – 7 victory over the
Titans, he caught an 18 – yard touchdown pass from Mohamed Sanu(84). It was the first time a quarterback had
caught a pass since former Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen caught a 37 – yard
pass from receiver Mark Bradley in 2008(85). Dalton was the first quarterback ever to
catch a touchdown pass for the Bengals.(86)
Following
the Bengals’ first loss of the 2014 season against the Patriots, the Bengals
were involved in a tie for the second time in the past seven seasons. With the score tied at 37 in overtime against
the Panthers, Dalton completed five of seven passes for 49 yards, but kicker
Mike Nugent pushed the field goal wide right.
Dalton threw for a season – high 323 yards, along with two touchdowns
and two interceptions(87).
This was followed by a meager 126 yards in a shutout road loss to the
Colts(88). In the second
match – up against the Ravens in game 7, Dalton led an 80 – yard drive in the
games’ final four minutes and ran in a quarterback sneak from one yard out to
give the Bengals a 27 – 24 victory, his second game – winning drive of the
season, both against Baltimore(89).
Following a win over the Jaguars, the Bengals reached the season
midpoint at 5 – 2 – 1.
Dalton had
a historically terrible performance against the Browns in week 9, where he
completed 10 of 33 passes for 86 total yards with three interceptions to earn a
2.0 passer rating, the lowest by an NFL quarterback with 25 pass attempts since
2004 and the 11th lowest in history(90)(91). He responded with 220 yards and three
touchdowns for a season – best rating of 143.9 in a 27 – 10 road victory over
the Saints, and his first career win in four attempts against the Texans in
week 11(92)(93). During week
12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dalton rebounded from three first – half
interceptions to run for a touchdown and throw for another in a 14 – 13 road
victory(94). It marked the
fourth consecutive year that Dalton had won three games against the National
Football Conference (NFC), extending his record to 12 – 3 – 1 against the
opposite conference. The Bengals lost in
week 13 to the Steelers despite Dalton’s solid 128.8 rating and 20 – yard
touchdown run (the longest ever by a Bengals quarterback), then shut out
Cleveland despite his 53.6 rating(95). Two weeks later, Dalton threw two touchdowns
and an interception in a 37 – 28 win over the Broncos to help the Bengals
clinch a playoff berth for a franchise – record fourth straight year(96). In the regular – season finale against the
Steelers, Dalton threw two first – half interceptions but led an 89 – yard
fourth quarter drive capped by a five – yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham
to cut the deficit to 20 – 17, but despite a streak of 11 of 12 passes for 101
yards, A.J. Green fumbled inside the Steelers territory to seal the 27 – 17
loss and a #5 wild card seed in the playoffs.(97).
Playing
without many of his offensive weapons against the Colts on the road in the Wild
Card Round, Dalton led the Bengals to their fourth straight playoff loss by a
score of 26 – 10, with a 155 – yard, no touchdown, no interception effort.(98)
On January
20th, 2015, it was announced that Dalton was selected to the 2015
Pro Bowl, his second Pro Bowl appearance, replacing Aaron Rodgers of the
Packers, who declined to participate due to injury(99). Dalton completed nine of 20 passes for 69
yards.(100)
2015
season:
The
Bengals began the 2015 season on a historic winning streak. In the season – opening 33 – 13 road victory
over the Raiders, Dalton threw his 100th career touchdown pass,
which was to tight end Tyler Eifert, in the second quarter. Dalton finished the game with 269 passing
yards and two touchdowns(101).
In the next game, Dalton threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns in a
24 – 19 defeat of the Chargers(102).
It marked the fourth straight home – opening win for the Bengals and the
15th three – touchdown performance for Dalton. He threw for a career – high 383 yards and
three touchdowns in week 3 against the Ravens, 321 yards in week 4 against the
Chiefs, and 331 yards in a week 5 game where Dalton also threw two touchdowns
and ran for one as he led the Bengals back from a 24 – 7 deficit to a 27 – 24 overtime
win over the Seattle Seahawks(103).
This was the second – biggest comeback in franchise history. During a week 6 34 – 21 road victory over the
Bills, Dalton completed 22 of 33 passes for 243 yards with three touchdowns(104). Dalton was named the AFC Offensive Player of
the Month for October. Following a bye
week, Dalton led the Bengals to another fourth – quarter comeback against the
Steelers on the road. The 16 – 10 win
gave the Bengals their first 7 – 0 start in franchise history(105). They extended this to 8 – 0 with Dalton’s
139.8 passer rating in a victory over the Browns.(106)
Dalton
failed to reach 200 yards passing in a week 9 10 – 6 loss to the Texans(107). In the next game against the Arizona
Cardinals, he threw for 315 yards and led two scoring drives in less than two
minutes late in the fourth quarter to tie the game, the Bengals lost on the
road by a score of 34 – 31(108).
Dalton bounced back with three touchdowns and a 121.4 rating in week 11
31 – 7 victory over the St. Louis Rams, and a career – high passer rating of
146.8 in a week 12 37 – 3 road victory over the Browns. During week 13, Dalton fractured the thumb on
his throwing hand while tackling Stephon Tuitt after an intercepted shovel
pass, missing the season’s final three games (replacement A.J. McCarron was 2 –
1 with a 97.1 passer rating).(109)
Dalton
finished the year with 3,250 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven
interceptions(110). He was
the first Bengal ever to throw more than 20 touchdown passes with fewer than 10
interceptions in franchise history(111). Dalton’s 106.2 passer rating ranked number 2
and his 8.4 yards per attempt ranked number 3 among NFL quarterbacks in 2015(112). He was ranked 35th by his follow
players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.(113)
The
Bengals’ season ended when they lost to the Steelers by a score of 18 – 16 in
the AFC Wild Card Round(114).
Dalton had the cast for his broken thumb removed five days before the
game, but did not play.(115)
2016
season:
Dalton
began the 2016 season with back – to – back 366 yard games, overcoming seven
sacks for a 55 – yard game – winning drive in the 23 – 22 road victory over the
Jets in week 1, but losing on the road 24 – 16 in week 2 to the Steelers(116)(117). After an off – night of 206 yards, zero
touchdowns, and an interception in a 29 – 17 loss to the Broncos, Dalton
completed 69.5% of his passes for 1,127 yards, six touchdowns, and no
interceptions in four straight 100+ passer rating games(118). Despite a middle – of – the – pack 89.7
rating through 13 games, Dalton had been sacked a league – leading 32 times and
the Bengals were 3 – 7 – 1 and out of the playoffs. Dalton had 332 yards and a 130.0 passer
rating in a week 13 32 – 14 victory over the Eagles, but averaged just 208
yards over the season’s last four games(119). The Bengals ended the season with a 6 – 9 – 1
record, with Dalton throwing a career – low 18 touchdowns, and second in the
league with 41 sacks. However, he
recorded over 4,000 passing yards for the second time in his career, had just
eight interceptions on 563 attempts, and contributed four rushing touchdowns(120). Marvin Lewis praised it as “the best campaign
of [Dalton’s] career”, and he earned his third Pro Bowl recognition, replacing
the Super – Bowl bound Tom Brady.(121)(122)
2017
season:
Dalton
threw three interceptions in the first half during the home opener against the
Ravens in week 1. Overall, he finished
the game with 170 passing yards and had four interceptions as the Bengals were
shut out and lost by a score of 20 – 0.
Dalton’s four interceptions tied his career high for a single game, with
the other instance occurring in a 2013 matchup(123)(124). Though the Bengals were eliminated from
playoff contention by the time of the rematch with Baltimore in week 17, Dalton
threw a game – winning touchdown to Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds left in the
game, eliminating the Ravens from the postseason and allowing the Bills to
clinch their first playoff berth since 1999(125). Thanks to the Bengals’ victory, thousands of
grateful Bills fans donated money to Dalton’s personal charity. Most of the donations were in $17 dollar
increments in honor of the Bills breaking their 17 – year playoff drought(126). Over 11,000 people donated over $250,000
dollars to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, while Tyler Boyd’s charity
of choice, the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association, received
$50,000 dollars in donation from Bills fans(127)(128). In the Bengals’ 7 – 9 season, Dalton started
all 16 games and finished with 3,320 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12
interceptions.(129)
2018
season:
During
week 2, Dalton threw for four touchdown passes in the home – opener against the
divisional rival Baltimore Ravens. All
four touchdowns were in the first half, three of them were caught by A.J.
Green. The Bengals went on to win 34 –
23(130). During week 12
against the Browns, Dalton suffered a thumb injury in the fourth quarter and
did not return(131). It was
revealed that he suffered torn ligaments in the thumb and was placed on injured
reserve on November 16th, 2018(132). In 11 games in the 2018 season, Dalton
finished with 2,556 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.(133)
2019
season:
During
week 1 against the Seahawks, Dalton threw for a career – high 418 yards and two
touchdowns in the 20 – 21 loss(134).
Following an 0 – 8 start to the season, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor
announced that he would bench Dalton and start rookie Ryan Finley(135). After three games and losses with Finley,
Dalton was renamed the starting quarterback on November 25th, 2019,
for their upcoming game against the Jets(136). In the game, he threw for 243 yards and a
touchdown as the Bengals won their first game of the season by a score of 22 –
6(137). In week 15 against
the Patriots, Dalton threw for 151 yards, a touchdown, and four interceptions
during the 34 – 13 loss. This was
Dalton’s fourth career game with four interceptions(138). During a week 16 road matchup against the
Dolphins, he threw for 396 yards and four touchdowns. Dalton scored 16 points in the final 29
seconds of regulation to force an overtime that the Bengals ultimately lost 38
– 35 to clinch the NFL’s worst record(139). In the regular – season finale against the
Browns, Dalton threw for 190 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. In addition, he had eight carries for 10
yards and a touchdown during the 33 – 23 win.
After the game, Dalton said that if it was his last game as a Bengal,
“It was good to end it taking a knee.”(140) Dalton appeared in 13 games in the 2019
season and recorded 3,494 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.(141)
On April
30th, 2020, after nine seasons with the franchise, the Bengals
released Dalton after selecting Joe Burrow as the first overall pick in the
2020 NFL draft.(142)
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