7/7/2023 0 Comments Andy dalton preseason stats![]() ![]() The Red Rifle isn't known for a strong arm, but he's accurate throwing deep (8th in completion percentage) and was one of four QBs last season without an interception on attempts of 21-plus yards (min. Dalton, who lost three games in 2015 to a thumb injury, hasn't played a full season with Green since 2013 when he posted career highs in yards and TDs. Green, Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard all missed significant time, playing together just three games (Dalton's YPA in those three was 8.0). Injuries again sabotaged Dalton last season, as his YPA dipped by nearly a full yard from 2015 while his TD passes marked a career low. Dalton also has a new quarterbacks coach in Alex Van Pelt, who tutored Aaron Rodgers the last four years. Expecting Tyler Eifert to play a full season, which he's never done, seems foolish, but 6-6 tight end Tyler Kroft turned 12 red-zone targets into seven touchdowns a year ago and figures to be involved again at the goal line. Now healthy, Ross' game-changing speed figures to be a prime part of the new deep-ball offense. Green endured a late-season knee injury last year and first-round pick John Ross missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who took over in Week 3 after Ken Zampese was fired, spent the offseason installing a new scheme with promises of a fast-paced, field-stretching attack. The biggest change, though, is the playbook. To remedy that problem, the Bengals traded for left tackle Cordy Glenn and drafted center Billy Price in the first round. He got little help from an offensive line that ranked 21st in sack rate (7.6 percent), as downfield routes didn't have enough time to develop. He was miserable throwing deep, completing just 18.6 percent of his attempts of more than 20 yards, lower than any quarterback with 20 such attempts save for Eli Manning. Dalton posted a career low in yardage for a full season and his lowest completion percentage and YPA since his rookie season. ![]() The Red Rifle fired a lot of blanks last season. ![]() Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard provide plenty of juice for the rushing attack, but the receiver group will be a clear weakness if Green's ankle injury from July doesn't clear up by Week 1. The Bengals have one of the league's least experienced coaching staffs, but that might not be a bad thing given how stale the old regime had gotten. The onslaught of injuries also had the effect of pushing head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor out the door, with former Rams assistant Zac Taylor taking over as head coach and bringing in Brian Callahan as his offensive coordinator. ![]() The one positive? Wide receiver Tyler Boyd emerged as a legitimate complement to Green, totaling 1,028 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games (even the team's breakout star couldn't avoid the injury bug). The season was already lost by the time Dalton joined his teammates on the injured list in late November. Green's toe injury four weeks later was the death blow for the Cincinnati offense. Losing tight end Tyler Eifert to a season-ending ankle injury Week 4 didn't help, and wide receiver A.J. Of course, it's easy enough to forget that happened, as he dropped to nine touchdown passes and 186.8 yards over the next six games before a thumb injury ended his season. Dalton came out of the gate on fire last season, throwing for 12 touchdowns and 289 yards per game while leading the Bengals to a 4-1 start. ![]()
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