The Cincinnati Bengals were eliminated in the wild-card round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year over the weekend. The Indianapolis Colts handled them fairly easily, winning 26-10 at home. It's clear that this roster is talented overall. But sub-par play from quarterback Andy Dalton in the biggest moments has prevented this team from getting to the next level.
The question is: should the Bengals draft another quarterback?
The answer: yes.
"Dalton isn't going anywhere, and no, this isn't an overreaction to a playoff loss in which Daltons was without top targets A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham, but would it hurt the Bengals to use a second-or third-round pick on a big-armed project quarterback," ESPN's Matt Williamson wrote. "That isn't to suggest that said player would challenge Dalton right away for the starting job (the Bengals aren't going to come away with Marcus Mariota, for example), but would preparing an insurance policy if Dalton isn't the answer - and I never thought he was - be a terrible idea?"
It's true that this weekend's loss isn't all on Dalton. When you're short your top two receiving weapons, it's hard to generate a whole lot of offense. But Dalton's tendency to fold in big games is definitely worth worrying about.
Dalton is 3-5 for his career in primetime games (Sunday and Monday night matchups). He is 0-4 all-time in the playoffs. Dalton's career post-season completion percentage is just 55.7 while his quarterback rating is 57.8. While other big name QBs such as Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan have struggled in the playoffs before notching their first post-season win, Dalton has yet to show that same type of ceiling.
Dalton has accumulated a lot of regular season wins in his short career, but it has not translated into big-time success. The fourth-year passer is coming off a so-so season in which he threw 19 touchdowns against 17 interceptions.
At this point, Dalton appears to be a decent quarterback who needs a good team around him to succeed. He does not appear to be the type of signal-caller that can elevate the level of play of those around him. The Bengals will have to ask themselves if they are satisfied with being one of the good-not-great teams who get bounced in the first round every season.
If the draft were held tomorrow, Cincinnati would hold the 21st pick. Perhaps a trade for a QB is a more likely option.
"If not the draft, how about making the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an offer for Mike Glennon or signing an unrestricted free agent like Ryan Mallett?" Williamson wrote. "Neither of those guys is a sure thing to be better than Dalton, but both are players with some upside, whereas Dalton seems to be stuck at his same average performance level. It wouldn't be hard to see either of those guys stealing Dalton's starting gig, if the Bengals signed one."
