NFL Picks Week 12: Andy Dalton Will Continue Rookie of the Year Campaign

Aside from Carolina's Cam Newton, Cincinnati's Andy Dalton has undoubtedly been the NFL's best rookie quarterback so far this season.

In fact, he has been so good that many consider him to be a front-runner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Dalton and the Bengals face the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, and he should be able to strengthen his case for ROY even more.

Here's why...

Familiarity with Browns Defense

Dalton managed to throw for just 81 yards in his NFL debut against the Browns in Week 1, but he also attempted just 15 passes.

The rookie gunslinger has since proven to have a heck of an arm, and he should be throwing the ball with much more regularity in this weekend's contest.

The Browns' talented young secondary is one of the league's best, but Dalton got a good look at the them in Week 1 and he'll be well prepared come Sunday.

Cincy Receiving Corps Will Be at Full Strength

Despite not having his favorite target in A.J. Green available last week, Dalton still managed for throw for a career-high 373 yards against Baltimore.

Now, with Green's return looking probable, the Cincinnati receiving corps should be back to full strength.

Look for Dalton to seek out Green, but also to continue feeding the ball to some of Cincinnati's lesser-known targets as he has over the past few weeks.

Jerome Simpson, Jermaine Gresham, Andre Caldwell and Andrew Hawkins should all be factors on Sunday.

Dalton Has Been Tested

While Cleveland's defense is by no means a pushover, Dalton and the Bengals have faced two of the league's absolute best defensive units in Pittsburgh and Baltimore over the past two weeks.

Despite losing both games, Dalton appeared poised and confident in the face of pressure as he managed to throw for over 500 yards between the two contests.

After facing such stiff competition, a struggling Cleveland team that the Bengals have already defeated once this season shouldn't pose much a problem.

Running Game Will Take off the Pressure

While Dalton will certainly be expected to throw quite a bit on Sunday, he'll also be able to depend on Cincinnati's running game to provide some offense.

Cleveland boasts the league's No. 1 pass defense, but they're giving up an average of 139.3 yards on the ground each week. 

Should Dalton struggle on Sunday, Cedric Benson and gang will be there to bail him out.

A win is a win, and if Cincinnati picks up yet another W this weekend it will undoubtedly help Dalton's case for Rookie of the Year.