The Cincinnati Bengals have been dreaming of the postseason ever since the team's lengthy undefeated start. However, that dream took a big hit on Sunday when Andy Dalton went down with a thumb injury on his throwing arm that may or may not have ended his season. Dalton has been lights out this year and now the Bengals must hope that AJ McCarron can handle the offense while Dalton's return might come sooner than originally predicted.
The Bengals got good news on Monday when it was reported by head coach Marvin Lewis that Dalton's thumb injury will not require surgery and he could return soon based on his pain level. According to Cole Harvey of ESPN.com, there is a belief that Dalton could be back by the playoffs, only missing the final three games of the season. For now though, the Bengals will rely on McCarron who saw his first real chunk of game-time action Sunday and went 22-for-32 with 280 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson made it clear that he has full confidence in the former Alabama star. McCarron was drafted in 2014 following a successful college stint with the Crimson Tide. Jackson made it clear that McCarron will not simply be a "game manager" for the team. He praised the quarterback's arm and knowledge on the field and told NFL.com that he does not want the quarterback handing the ball off every play.
"Did he start out (Sunday) being a manager? He threw it all over the field, right?" Jackson said via The Enquirer. "That gave us the best chance to win. It didn't work. I'm not going to tell you I'm going to start with him being a manager. He's going to start off doing what we need him to do to win. That's what we pay him for. We pay him to win games. So whatever it takes for him to win, that's what he's going to do. If you guys think he's going to turn around and hand it off 70 times to win a game, then you guys are mistaken. That's not going to happen. That's not going to happen."
The Bengals have the offensive talent to help McCarron out. With a solid run game in Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard and receivers like AJ Green and Marvin Jones, McCarron has a chance to succeed. The biggest question now is the health of Tyler Eifert. The tight end left Sunday's game with a concussion just after healing from a neck stinger. At the moment there is no clear ruling out Eifert as he goes through the concussion protocol. Not having him on the field would make things a little tougher for McCarron considering just how effective the tight end has been this season.
