Raise Your Glasses Cincy, This Buds For You Andy

Photo Via: Getty Images

By Nicholas Cottone

Its not very often you find the phrase “Bengals fans,” and The State of New Jersey in the same sentence. By laws of the lands, my loyalty should lie with the Giants or the Jets, and at the absolute very worst, the Eagles. But being a Bengals fan with red hair entering high school in 2011 while playing the positions of quarterback and RHP respectively, you could imagine the comparisons to Andy Dalton. Not so much for my athletic ability or physical prowess (Baseball was my Bread and Butter,) but because I looked the part. I was on the other end of so many Andy Dalton jokes, but I didn’t mind. I wore it like a badge of honor!!

I am 100% honest when I say I was happy the Bengals took Dalton in the 2011 draft. My football knowledge wasn’t vast at the time as I was 15 and just getting to the point where I could provide sound arguments regarding sports topics and not get overlooked because I “didn’t know anything cause you’re too young.” I did get a chance to watch Dalton in the Rose Bowl prior to the draft when he led TCU to their first victory in the 2nd most coveted game in college football, en route to a perfect 13-0 season. I liked what I saw. I didn’t know at the time that I was watching who would soon be my QB of the future. For those of you who don’t know, saying the Bengals were a circus in 2010-2011 season would be a compliment. This team was an absolute shit show that would actually make the Antonio Brown saga look normal. The Bengals went 10-6 and lost in the WC in 2009, (A trend we would see continue for the next 6 seasons,) to the Mark Sanchez led Jets! Wow. But there was promise. There was a chance 2010 could be it. They signed Terrel Owens (1 year), PAC MAN Jones (2 year) and Antonio Bryant (4 year/$28 M) to what I consider awful deals. This team had so much hype and so much personality that they were either going to be a legit contender, or they were going to fail miserably. Well who would have guessed the latter would come to fruition? The Bengals went 4-12 and if that wasn’t bad enough, their former #1 pick and trusty steed of a QB wanted out. “Wanted out” was being gracious. Carson Palmer put his nuts on the table and said, “Trade me or I’m Retiring!” Mike Brown being the abominable owner he is, was too busy worrying about his integrity and reputation of his “storybook and accomplished” franchise that he called Palmer’s Nuts and raised him a shaft. Palmer retired because Mike Brown wouldn’t cave in and trade him. Mike Brown refuses to make other teams better if it makes the Bengals worse. In layman terms, the Bengals were now QB-less and holding the 4th pick in the draft they had to use on the predicted franchise WR AJ Green to replenish their depleted WR Corps. Enter Bengals HOF tackle Anthony Muñoz to announce the 35th pick of the Draft, Andy Dalton, QB, TCU!

>With the Bengals almost certainly taking Joe Burrow with the #1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and trade rumors with potential suitors in the Bears, Patriots and Colts beginning to show signs of validity, I would like to take some time to prove to the world why Andy Dalton was actually a great QB from his playing ability all the way to his intangibles. With this being my first sports blog post, I think it is only fitting that I craft an ode to Andy Dalton and give this man the poetic justice that he deserves, but probably won't receive. This one is for you, Andy.

Let’s Look At The Tangibles.

It is unfortunate, but a true tale you will see in any sport, but if you can't win in the games that count, you’ll never get the respect you may deserve. Sure, there are outliers, but I am trying to be as un bias as possible when I write this, so for the readers, I'll admit you guys are absolutely, wholeheartedly, 100% right to disrespect the man for his ability (or lack thereof) to win big games. Congrats. You got me. But that's one of the very, very few things you can hold against him. Ill start with a cookie stat everyone could appreciate. Andy Dalton is the only QB in NFL history drafted outside of the first round to start all 16 games of their rookie season. Oh yeah, by the graces of god, they snuck into the playoffs as a wild card as well. To start his career, Dalton led the Bengals to a Playoff birth in five straight Seasons. I don’t care what you say, the list of QB’s to do that is miniscule, if there are any at all. Andy Dalton wasn’t supposed to be a sexy QB who was going to light up the NFL. He was supposed to be a field general who could lead the talent around him and that was exactly how he played. It was pretty evident his hard work had been paying off as he statistically got better every single season he played up until 2016. He did everything you ask of player drafted in the 2nd round. In 2013, he was 3rd only to Peyton and Drew Brees in Passing TD with 33. His saddest narrative, which stings the memory of every Bengals fan will be the 2015 season that never was. The Bengals were not only a legit contender in the AFC North, they were a legit contender in the league. They started off 8-0. I'll say it again because it felt so good. 8-0 and on our way to maybe skipping our kryptonite, Wild Card Weekend. Well, any Bengals fan can tell you that Dalton wound up getting hurt after leading Cincy to a 10-3 record and had to hand team over to AJ McCarron during his greatest statistical season of his career. 2nd in the league in passer rating behind only Russel Wilson. A 25/7 TD to Int ratio. He was playing with swagger, and so were the Bengals. But without Andy Dalton, the Bengals had to potentially go through Brady or Manning. Our postseason was over before it started. With a rookie back up QB starting a playoff game, we had a relapse and literally fumbled the franchise's first playoff win in 24 years in what I consider the most tragic playoff loss I have been alive for, but ill save my reaction for another article. So we waited another season to see if the old magic could be rekindled. It could not. That injury began a dismal journey for Bengals fans to see a crooked number in the Win column, something they have only done 23 times since Dalton’s injury ended the 2015 campaign. I wonder the direction this team could have been heading if that never happened.

Let’s Look at The Intangibles.

With the formula Bengals ownership employs on a year to year basis on how they go about winning (or losing) championships, Ray Charles could see why they never win or gain respect from the league. To start, Marvin Lewis was one of the greatest regular season coaches of the last 10 years. Key phrase, regular season. The guy couldn’t take the next step that you could only get from a head coach. He didn’t have the “it” factor and that hurt the team. The Bengals keep in house most of the time. New flurries of players only come from the draft and FA signings, which are 99% of the time slotted for players they drafted in the past. What does that tell you? It tells you that Andy Dalton was never, ever, ever going to have a team that could pick up the slack if his performance was lacking. Andy had to be an MVP front runner every season if this team wanted to win a championship. That’s too much to ask of a 2nd round pick who came in to a less than ideal situation. But what did the Bengals actually do to help Dalton?

Over the course of Dalton’s tenure with the Bengals, Owner Mike Brown acquired these notable offensive names to help the team be a “Contender.” Benjarvus Green-Ellis. That right. The only notable signing the Bengals ever gave Dalton was a RB they bought too much stock in because of his New England pedigree. The Browns (owners of the Bengals) have never spent in FA and it shows. There is a reason the team hasn’t won a Super Bowl. There is a reason they haven't won a playoff game since 1991. If the world wants to blame Andy Dalton, the world should ask themselves this question. Did Andy Dalton ever have a chance to make this team a winner? The answer is No, and it is unfortunate because the team is Cincy right now has the makeup to be really good, and if the Burrow rumors make it all the way to the draft, the league should be put on notice because that wasn’t a 2-14 team and a lot of people know that.

What can Andy Dalton be proud of?

While his draft partner in crime, AJ Green, is potentially on his way to Canton, Ohio regardless of a championship. He has been a top WR in the NFL since he’s been in the league and has Dalton to thank for that. Now anybody could throw to AJ, but it was Andy who had that luxury to throw 58 TD passes to Green, a combo only Brady/Gronk, Rivers/Gates, and Ben/AB had more of over their respective careers with one another. That’s ridiculous company. He can also be proud of getting Offensive coordinators Jay Gruden (WAS) and Hue Jackson (CLE) head coaching jobs. They made Dalton good, yes, but if Dalton doesn’t play well, those guys are not head coaches and that’s a fact. He also is statistically the greatest QB from the 2011 draft and if you neglect to acknowledge Cam Newton’s MVP and Super Bowl appearance (That Defense was insane,) then Dalton was without a doubt the best QB from that draft class and you cannot tell me otherwise. He leaves the Bengals amongst the leaders in every statistical category. Being in a conversation with Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason is rare air. You have to be pretty good to be amongst those names and arguments can be made that Andy was better than both.

One last thing id like to mention in this rather lengthy blog post, (I apoloigize, but if you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you) is the Andy & JJ Dalton foundation, the charitable organization the couple started when they got to Cincinnati. I don’t have exact figures, but they have raised Millions of dollars over his tenure in stripes that provide support and resources to families with seriously ill and physically challenged children in Cincy and Fort Worth, Texas. The organization most notably received generous donations from the Buffalo faithful, Bills Mafia, as Andy’s play propelled the Bengals to a week 17 win over the Ravens on NYE 2017 that sent the Bills to the playoffs for the first time since 1999, while figuratively and literally turning the city of Buffalo upside down. Raising nearly a half million dollars in the process, this began what is still considered a charitable relationship between the Bengals and the Bills, with both franchises completing numerous trades since. Andy Dalton is responsible for that and part of his legacy in Cincinnati will be how he fostered that strange friendship.

If you made it this far, I would like to say thank you! From the bottom of my heart! This is my first blog post and I made it this way because Andy Dalton was my QB for the last 10 seasons. The years I was finally old enough to diligently follow a sports franchise, I stuck by Dalton through thick and thin. I have so many emotions surrounding the Red Rifle and I have taken my share of lumps for supporting him over the years. He isn't the most decorated QB in NFL history, ill be the first to admit it, but when you step back and look at the situations he was put in, Andy was never meant for football greatness in Cincy. He will forever be the QB that was great to bring home to mom and dad, but was never given a team that could bring home the bacon. That is why he must search elsewhere. As the Bengals prep for the future with Burrow who is walking into an exciting team, I want to thank you, Andy, and apologize on behalf of the owners of Bengals because you know it, I know it and they know it , but you were never going to win in Cincinnati, but that’s not your fault.

Here’s to you, Andy! May you get that Championship on a team that deserves you and everything you bring to an organization. Cheers Mate.