Amid the failure to clinch the division title and a playoff berth, Cincinnati lost Dalton with a fractured right thumb after its first possession imploded when defensive end Stephon Tuitt intercepted a shovel pass inside the red zone with the Steelers leading 7-0. “It’s a healing situation”. But no surgery seems to indicate a possible manageable timetable if it heals well and quickly.
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One thing is certain though.
“We’ve earned where we are”, Lewis said. “No way. This kid can play”.
Dalton will remain in a cast and be evaluated weekly during the healing process.
The Bengals reportedly have reached out to quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Christian Ponder, but Mallett signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. Nothing is more important for the Bengals than entering the playoffs with a healthy Andy Dalton. He’s thrown for more than 280 yards in each of his last five games. “But I went in and got the X-ray”.
But that’s the idea. Defensively, the Bengals yield 240.3 yards in passing and 97.2 yards in rushing. And that means the Bengals who helped you get there don’t look quite like the same safe investments with Dalton, a top-10 quarterback, sidelined and AJ McCarron under center.
There were some media reports following Sunday’s 33-20 loss to the Steelers that Dalton’s injury, which he suffered while making a tackle after throwing an interception on the Bengals’ first offensive drive, was season ending. He started at right cornerback in Adam Jones’ place. The Bengals didn’t opt to blitz Roethlisberger in both games this season for fear of the long ball against isolated corners, coming at him a total of nine times on 90 drop backs, according to profootballfocus.com.
McCarron directed the Bengals to one touchdown and two field goals on eight drives – skipping a one-play drive to end the first half – before throwing a meaningless late score with 67 seconds left in a 33-20 loss.
MAC START: Joe Kay of the Associated Press has unearthed a true gem from STATS, a startling number for the school that produced Joe Willie Namath.
Had Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger not missed four games this season with a left knee injury, Brown would more than likely have a decent shot at breaking the National Football League single-season record for receptions that Harrison set in 2002 (143).
“Hopefully, we can get Tyler Eifert back, but the guys I have out wide I know I can take some chances because they’re going to go up and get the ball”, McCarron said.
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“I feel like I’m carrying the flag for the Cincinnati Bengals”.
