Was Andy Dalton’s heavy contract worth it?

Let’s compare these two stat lines.

First 3 career seasons: 85 TD, 58 INT, 12, 287 yards thrown, 60.4 completion %

First 3 career seasons: 80 TD, 49 INT, 11,360 yards thrown, 60.9 completion %

With his new major contract, Andy Dalton needs to live up to his potential in the upcoming season. By Navin75, via Wikimedia Commons

The bottom: Andy Dalton.

A little over 1,000 more yards thrown and nine more interceptions by the Manning are all that really separate  these two quarterbacks’ statistics through their first three seasons in the NFL.

The difference, or lack thereof, is pretty shocking to most once the names are provided — especially with what we now know Manning to be and have seen what Dalton hasn’t done come playoff time. Like Dalton, Peyton Manning was also 0-3 in his first three-playoff games. I’m not saying Andy Dalton is going to be the next Peyton Manning but the stats from their first three seasons are similar.

The Bengals recently re-signed Andy Dalton to a six-year, $116 million deal, and it has been heavily scrutinized. Dalton has played very poorly in each of his three-playoff games, so many question why the Bengals would re-sign him and also why they would invest so much money into him. What many people don’t realize is that Andy Dalton has been a very productive quarterback for the Bengals, bringing lots of stability to an otherwise unstable organization. Other than a few seasons in the 80s, the Cincinnati Bengals have historically been bad. Really bad. Dalton is the first quarterback to lead them to the playoffs three seasons in a row, including winning a division title in 2013. Every season his stats and the team’s record have improved, but all anyone remembers are the bad playoff games. I am not trying to give Dalton a pass for those games but you also have to remember that football is a team sport and Dalton didn’t lose the games on his own.

2011 vs. Texans: Lost 31-10, the whole team played bad including Dalton. Cincinnati’s defense gave up 153 yards and two touchdowns to Arian Foster.

2012 vs. Texans: Lost 19-13, the team didn’t show up yet again including Dalton. The Bengals’ D allowed 420 yards to Houston’s offense.

2013 vs. Chargers: Lost 27-10, the whole team didn’t show up in the second half. Lead 10-7 at halftime and if not for a Giovani Bernard fumble at the SD 3-yard line, the score would have been 17-7 at half.

While Dalton did have some part of the playoff loses, it isn’t and shouldn’t be solely on him. Dalton is only going to be starting his fourth NFL season and everyone acts as if he has been here for years and years failing every time. How many other NFL quarterbacks can say that they have made the playoffs as the starting quarterback in each of their first three seasons? The answer is only five, and Dalton is one of them. He is also just one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to have thrown for over 3,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, joining Cam Newton and Peyton Manning, and is just one of three to have passed for at least 20 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, joining Manning and Dan Marino.

Offense coordinator Jay Gruden is out in Cincinnati and has been replaced by the more level-headed Hue Jackson. Jackson was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2011 when he guided them to only their second non-losing season since 2002. Jackson will help Dalton and the Bengals have a much more balanced offensive attack, so I’ll expect Dalton and the Bengals to be even better in 2014. Dalton is still young and still can grow so lets wait to see how the next few seasons pan out before we condemn him as not being a “big time” quarterback.