Andy Dalton Carries Bengals to Epic Comeback Victory to Remain Undefeated

Andy Dalton put the Cincinnati Bengals on his back Sunday, plain and simple. 

Through the penalties, defensive gaffes, turnovers and the worst performance from his offensive line on the season, Dalton stood tall amid the chaos and pulled off a 17-point fourth quarter to force overtime, where the Bengals took down the Seattle Seahawks, 27-24.

For those counting, that's 5-0 for the much-maligned Bengals—the first 5-0 start for the organization since 1988, the last time the Bengals appeared in a Super Bowl.

For perspective, Dalton wasn't three years old the last time this happened.

He gets the credit, though. Dalton dove head first into the pool of sharks known as the "Legion of Boom" and emerged 30-of-44 with 331 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. He added a rushing touching on the ground for good measure.

Dalton didn't just come out and go through the motions of a game plan, either. He slung it around to a bevy of names, helping five targets to finish with at least five catches:

	REC	YDS	TD
Tyler Eifert	8	90	2
A.J. Green	6	78	0
Mohamed Sanu	5	69	0
Marvin Jones	5	61	0
Giovani Bernard	5	21	0

Posting a stat sheet like this isn't so easy. It requires poise, an ability to take what's there. Dalton made plenty of impressive changes at the line of scrimmage, including changes that led to a five-yard touchdown run to bring his team within three points in the final frame.

For the most part, Dalton's throws were as accurate as they needed to be, too. There was the ugly interception in the end zone, but it's a far cry from something folks should point at and let the hiccup linger.

In fact, an interception is fine. The issue with Dalton and the offense as a whole in past years has been cascading mistakes. The Bengals would turn the ball over and then unravel. Not so against the Seahawks, as coach Marvin Lewis pointed out after the game, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

It's a new, refreshing trait exhibited by Dalton.

Dalton didn't throw more picks after the first. He didn't let possession slip away, despite a barrage of pressure all day. Even a Rex Burkhead fumble the Seattle defense took back for a score didn't seem to rattle the TCU product. 

Such poise was especially impressive considering the porous state of the offensive line Sunday. Dalton suffered four sacks and consistent pressure. Guards Kevin Zeitler and Clint Boling, along with right tackle Andre Smith, all left the game at one point. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth committed a holding penalty on a huge Dalton-A.J. Green touchdown hookup.

For all intents and purposes, the Seahawks outright mugged Dalton Sunday:

In fact, the state of the offensive line somewhat throws a wrench into the argument that Dalton's only performing well because of the elite players around him. If that were the case, he would have holed back up in a shell down 17, and the team would have lost.

Against the stiffest competition of the season and under the most pressure, Dalton smartly attacked Richard Sherman and Co. by putting the ball where it needed to be.

It's getting silly to discredit a guy for using the talent around him, especially when arguably the most important element—the protection in front of him to keep him upright and the offense's timing correct—faltered at a consistent clip.

Call all of the above the organization's ever-improving justification for dishing Dalton an extension despite postseason struggles. Those may still come to light again, but right now it's impossible to ignore the fact that Lewis, owner Mike Brown and others look correct to have thrown so much weight behind Dalton's potential as a leader and player.

Just look at comments by Smith after the game, per Hobson:

"

We never flinched. Our confidence is through the roof, and Andy is a great leader. He told us before we went out on the field in the overtime that we were going to win the game right here. ‘Keep your poise. Keep your poise. Be confident. We know we’re going to win the game. Andy went up and down the line one time and said, ‘Stay calm, stay confident. We’re going to win and that was it.

"

Times change. Apparently quarterbacks can, too, after so-so performances over the first four years of their career. Is that so hard to believe after seeing the organization change so much after decades of futility with splotches of hope?

Maybe not. Most teams don't give quarterbacks a chance these days unless there's a Brett Favre still slinging it as starter. The Bengals gave Dalton a chance despite the outside noise, and the organization stands undefeated for its efforts.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Let's not pretend it has been an easy road to 5-0, either. The Bengals had a terrible history on the West Coast before the win in Oakland. San Diego, Baltimore and Kansas City were outright AFC contenders at one point or still are—and some might still pencil the Seahawks in as Super Bowl contenders.

Yes, the weapons around Dalton are healthy and playing well. But looking closer, it's a symbiotic relationship, not the talent carrying Dalton around.

Sunday, Dalton carried the talent. He's developed into a quarterback roughly half the league would kill to have right now, and it's a testament to the organization sticking to its guns.

Like the prior four years, the Bengals go as Dalton goes. At 5-0 and with the AFC North in hand, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of October 11. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.