Bengals release Andy Dalton

If there were some questions whether or not Joe Burrow would be the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals this season, they were laid to rest on Thursday. That is because Cincinnati officially released quarterback Andy Dalton of Katy, Texas.

Dalton had been the Bengals quarterback since 2011. It was expected he would be in a backup role and help Burrow learn about some of the specifics of the National Football League. Now, that will no longer be the case.

Dalton was selected to the Pro Bowl three times with the Bengals (2011, 2014 and 2016). Last season was not only a struggle for the Bengals, but the entire Cincinnati organization. In Dalton’s 13 starts in 2019, he only had a record of two wins and 11 losses. He completed 314 of 528 passes for 3494 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Dalton also had 32 rushes for 73 yards and tied a career-high with four rushing touchdowns.

One issue for Dalton in his time with Cincinnati, is that he could not win a playoff game. During his tenure with the Bengals, Cincinnati reached the postseason on four occasions, but each and every time, the Bengals came up short.

In analyzing Dalton’s postseason statistics, you could argue that Dalton is not a big game quarterback. In the four postseason games where Cincinnati was in a do-or-die situation, Dalton threw only one touchdown pass compared to six interceptions.

Dalton did lead the Bengals to four straight playoff appearances from 2011 to 2014, but Cincinnati has not been to the playoffs in six years. In fact, Cincinnati has not won a playoff game since hammering the Houston Oilers (not Texans, the Oilers) 41-14 in the AFC Wildcard on January 6, 1991.