Friday, October 5, 2012

Dalton and Green...A Match A Made In Heaven

The years of suffering may finally be over for Bengals fans. Last year we watched two rookies lead our team to the playoffs. Not only did they lead us to the playoffs, they broke the all-time NFL record for yards and receptions by a rookie quarterback/wide receiver tandem. They shocked and amazed us week after week. These two guys brought excitement back to the city and they gave the fans hope.

When A.J. Green and Andy Dalton came into last season, no one knew what to expect.  A.J. Green was the Bengals 4th pick in the first round of the 2011 draft out of Georgia. Sure he was great in college, but could that skill translate into the NFL? Andy Dalton was a 2nd round pick out of TCU. Bengal Nation was still holding on to the, "we are mad at Carson, but what will we do without him" notion. So when the Bengals drafted the quarterback in the 2nd round of the draft, the fans were all on the edge of their seats. No one really got a chance to see them in practice, due to the lockout, so there was a lot of unknown surrounding the new players and the team. Would Palmer come back? Would Mike Brown actually trade him? Can this Dalton kid handle the pressure?

Dalton and Green answered those questions as the season progressed. Dalton threw the football for 3,398 yards and 20 touchdowns with an 80.4 passing rating in his 2011 rookie season. He passed his way right into a Pro Bowl trip to Hawaii. This season, people worried he would go through a sophomore slump, killing the Bengals playoff chances. Instead, he is now at the top of the league and leading his team in high flying aerial attacks on offense week after week. Already in the first four games in his second NFL season, Andy Dalton has thrown for 1,111 yards and 8 touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 103.0. That rating, ranks him 5th overall for starting quarterbacks this season and places him ahead of Brady, Brees, and Rodgers, arguably, the best quarterbacks playing today.

Though Andy has been able to spread the ball around more this year with a lot of guys stepping up, Green is still at the top of the receivers. In his rookie season he racked up 1,057 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. That was enough to eclipse a 1981 franchise record set by Bengals phenom Cris Collinsworth for most receiving yards by a rookie. After a breakout rookie season, he was a hands down favorite for a trip the Pro Bowl where he was the first rookie wide receiver to go to Hawaii since Anquan Boldin did it in 2003. This season has been no different for Green. He has already racked up 428 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. He is ranked second in the league behind Miami's Brian Hartline, whom he can take first place from when the teams match up on Sunday. Green is already on pace to hit 1,712 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in his second season in the NFL. The league is taking notice of his play on the field this season too. His name is once again being spoken with the best, as Green has been honored with the AFC Offensive Player of the Month distinction for September. This is also another big feat for the team, as no Bengals player has won the award since Carson Palmer in 2005.

For the Bengals, being in the limelight for good news is something they don't have much experience in. However, with their 3-1 record, their spot at the top of the AFC North standings with Baltimore, and the explosive play of their best quarterback/wide receiver tandem, they better get to used to it. These two guys are proving they are here to stay and bring respect back to Cincinnati. Most of all though, they are making Bengal Nation believe again.






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