NFL Predictions Week 3: 4 Reasons Andy Dalton Can Lead Bengals Over 49ers

How often is it that a rookie quarterback can lead a team to victory with such great confidence?

Andy Dalton has been the personification of a quality rookie in his first two weeks in the NFL.  He only played for half of the game against the Browns in Week 1, but came back with a vengeance in Week 2 in Denver.

How much vengeance?  About 332 yards worth of it.  Andy Dalton is simply not the typical rookie quarterback.

The typical one will make silly throws into traffic, rush his passes and overthrow his receivers.  If you don't believe me, Cam Newton's four picks will preach to that.

Dalton is the new man in Cincinnati, and he will lead the Bengals to a victory this Sunday against the 49ers to send them to a 2-1 record.

If you need justification, here are four reasons why.

Accuracy

I've watched Dalton's first two appearances in their entirety, and though it's pretty common to see an occasional misfire by a quarterback, I don't recall seeing Dalton have one.

He gives all of his receivers a legitimate opportunity to catch the ball every time he throws.

Having a strong arm and pinpoint accuracy, the young man from TCU has done a brilliant job of placing long balls where they need to be and squeezing line-drive throws in between defenders.  These throws were more on display during the Bengals' heart-breaking loss on Sunday, a game in which Andy Dalton threw the ball 41 times.

This is step one to being a tough NFL quarterback.  Being able to hit your mark consistently is going to gain you respect and more importantly, it will lead to wins.

Pocket Presence

One of the things I can respect the most about quarterbacks is their ability to stay poised in the pocket and make their throws effectively, despite oncoming pressure from the defense.

Such a trait is especially important in Cincinnati—their offensive line is atrocious. 

Still, Dalton makes it work.  I saw him throw many rushed or off-balance passes against the Broncos, and they still wound up in the right hands.  He has shown such a great ability to be able to sit back in the pocket, be patient and fire when he knows the time is right.

This comes as a bit of a shock.  Dalton was very similar to Tim Tebow in college, as he never hesitated to take off running with the football.  Though he never saw Tebow-like rushing stats, it was certainly a common scene in TCU games.

Now, Dalton has matured quickly and only takes off when the time is absolutely necessary.

In Cincinnati, being able to be patient in the pocket while also knowing your time is limited there is a key component to a quarterback.  Dalton has learned quickly and has used that knowledge to his advantage.

No "Carson Palmer Syndrome"

Now, what is meant by "Carson Palmer Syndrome?" 

Carson Palmer Syndrome—which, I've so brilliantly named myself—is a condition in which a quarterback gets hurt and returns only to show fans that he's become so afraid of being hit that he's ineffective.

Andy Dalton, thankfully, has no such thing.  Such a slide is included on this countdown because the fans in Cincinnati have been dealing with the Palmer drama ever since he was injured in the playoffs five years ago against Kimo "The Assassin" Von Oelhoffen of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Now, a rookie has finally come to town and is showing no fear.  In a sense, that could also be this slide's headline: He has no fear.

Whether he's being rushed head-on or being chased from behind, Dalton is fearless on that field.  Taking a hit doesn't scare him, and he does what he needs to do in order to get the job done.

Poise

Confidence emanates from Dalton when he steps onto the field.  He's working hard in practice every day, and doesn't get caught up in all the media garbage surrounding Carson Palmer.

Staying out of trouble off the field—at least in this era—is a huge step toward being successful.

On the field, he's shown such a great ability to stay poised and not panic in any situation.  He was rushed hard all day by Von Miller and the Denver defense.  Despite that, he never faltered.

Now, the lowly 49ers' passing defense is coming to town.  Be prepared to watch Dalton embarrass them.

Being able to sit back and make incredible throws is just not a trait you'll find in every quarterback.  If you don't trust that, ask San Francisco about their quarterbacks since Jeff Garcia left town.

Dalton is a Pro Bowler in the making.  He will throw three touchdowns this week en route to a Bengals' 27-12 defeat of the 49ers.