Cincinnati Bengals Week 15 Stock Report

Perhaps the most polarizing week of the stock report is upon those who follow the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati took a loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, opening the door slightly for Ben Roethlisberger and Co. in the AFC North and hurting the chances the Bengals can steal a first-round bye.

In the process the team also lost Andy Dalton to an injury, which means AJ McCarron now leads the way for the foreseeable future.

The odd turn of events for one of the league's best teams has an obvious impact on the stock report. Here's a look at the notable movers as the team prepares for a trip to San Francisco for a game against the 49ers.

Stock Up: Marvin Jones

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Marvin Jones came up big without Tyler Eifert for most of the day.

Marvin Jones deserves another mention.

Two weeks ago, Jones came up big in the absence of Tyler Eifert by catching five passes for 55 yards and a score. This past weekend against the Steelers, Jones once again delivered after Eifert left with an injury by catching six passes for 61 yards.

Jones now sits second on the team in receiving with 53 grabs on 85 targets, good for 656 yards and four scores. Were it not for Eifert and his 12 touchdowns, Jones would have some gaudy numbers and get much more in the way of national publicity.

Cincinnati, of course, doesn't mind that Jones continues to fly under the radar as a lethal weapon.

In fact, he is just what the offense missed last year. The Jones-A.J. Green combo will continue to produce no matter who lines up under center.

Stock Down: Jeremy Hill

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Jeremy Hill disappeared against Pittsburgh.

Just when it looked like Jeremy Hill would take the offense by the horns and lead the way down the stretch, he seemed to fall off the face of the Earth against the Steelers.

After 86 and 98 yards over his past two games as the Bengals worked their way into a run-first approach, Hill carried it just seven times for 16 yards with Pittsburgh in town.

To make matters worse, 12 of those 16 yards came on a single carry before he finished with a 2.3 per-carry average.

Numbers aren't everything, and game flow killed Hill's opportunities. But the coaching staff had seen enough and chose to throw it with an inexperienced quarterback rather than continue to implement Hill into the attack.

While he figures to see more chances with Dalton out of the lineup, Hill's stock just plummeted back down.

Stock Up: Josh Shaw

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Josh Shaw stepped in and played well.

Without Adam Jones, many figured the Cincinnati defense would give up a few scores to a potent passing attack.

Instead, Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick and others managed to hold Roethlisberger without a score.

One of the "others" was rookie defensive back Josh Shaw, who had to take a season-high 52 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

It's an important showing for Shaw, who also came in second on the team behind Vontaze Burfict with eight total tackles.

While it was far from a perfect game for the rookie, it was a reassuring sign to see some of the secondary's younger players step into the fold against an elite attack and help stifle it, at least from a scoreboard standpoint.

Stock Down: Andy Dalton

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Dalton's stock is on the decline for obvious reasons.

This wasn't hard to see coming, right? 

Dalton's stock is on a major downswing in part because of the thumb injury, which will hold him out until the playoffs at best, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

It's silly to knock a player just for getting hurt, though. Dalton's dwindling stock also has to do with the play that got him hurt, a designed shovel pass near the end zone to a running back. 

For coach Marvin Lewis, Dalton should have never thrown the pass given the positioning of the defensive lineman who picked it off, according to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey: "Asked what should have gone differently on the interception Andy Dalton threw (that led to his injury), Marvin Lewis said: 'Live to see another down. Throw the ball away.' Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt moved right into the screen pass."

One simple mistake and a broken thumb later as the quarterback had to make the tackle and Cincinnati's season could be in jeopardy.

That's a tad dramatic, yes, but it's an example of how a team's outlook can change in a hurry. For now, Dalton's stock is down, and it's hard to know if he'll get a chance to pick it back up.

Stock Up: AJ McCarron

Gary Landers/Associated Press

McCarron showed last week that he can carry the offense.

Slowly, the globe seems to be coming around to the idea of McCarron holding down the fort and leading the Bengals to the postseason. 

It's about time.

McCarron tossed a pair of touchdowns and interceptions along with 280 yards in a surprise appearance against the Steelers. It's a strong building block, and in future weeks he still gets to play with A.J. Green, throw from behind one of the best lines in the league and receive backup from a top-tier defense. 

The upcoming schedule has McCarron's stock on the rise, too, as ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell explained:

"

The other advantage is who McCarron will face. Yes, the Bengals get Denver in what might amount to a battle for a first-round bye in Week 16, and the Broncos have an impressive pass defense, but the two other regular-season games remaining come against the 49ers and Ravens, who rank among the seven worst pass defenses in football, per DVOA. Bad defenses can mask plenty of quarterback flaws. (And remember, the Broncos have their own backup QB struggling to score points.)

"

Many wouldn't have expected what McCarron was able to pull off last week without practicing as the starter with so many implications on the line.

Instead, the Alabama product gave everyone an encouraging flash and now gets to prepare like a starter. Nobody would suggest McCarron will do better than Dalton, but premonitions of Cincinnati's doom are quite misguided.

Thank McCarron for that.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of December 15. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.