The Cincinnati Bengals are headed into the playoffs, but their quarterback issues could haunt the team. The Bengals fell apart late in the game against the Denver Broncos and to make matters worse, AJ McCarron suffered an injury in overtime. The Bengals have been surviving on the backup quarterback who botched a snap in overtime to seal the loss. With McCarron hurting and Andy Dalton not close to a return, do the Bengals have cause for concern heading into the final game of the season and the playoffs?
According to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com, McCarron suffered a wrist injury during a botched snap in overtime that may or may not be serious. Harvey reports the backup quarterback will undergo an MRI on the injury as he stood in front of the media following the game with a wrap around his wrist. The severity of the injury is unknown. McCarron told the media that it was simply a wait-and-see type of issue. The Bengals must be keeping their fingers crossed as McCarron made sure to take full blame for the loss to the Broncos.
"It's my fault. I told the guys that," McCarron said, via ESPN.com. "The snap caught me a little by surprise. I was looking just to see how they were adjusting to A.J. [Green]coming in motion, and it just kind of slipped through my hands and hit my rib protector and bounced off. It's my fault. Simple as that."
All eyes are on McCarron's wrist right now and not the loss to Denver as Dalton does not appear close to a return to the field. The quarterback has been out since Week 14 following a broken thumb on his throwing hand. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, Dalton is still a few weeks away from returning to a game as he has yet to start throwing. The bone is reportedly not fully healed yet as the quarterback still has a cast on the injury. That means Dalton is out for Week 17 play while he could also miss the wild-card round of the playoffs.
There is also doubt around the health of Tyler Eifert who has missed two games with a concussion. The tight end was ruled out for Week 16 play and could miss next Sunday as well. According to Rapoport, the Bengals are not taking any chances on their star as they want to make sure he is fully healthy in time for the postseason. That means Tyler Kroft will continue to get the start in the final week of the season.
Despite the injury and the final botched snap, McCarron looked good in the game against the Broncos. Considering the quarterback was going up against the league's No.1 defense in the second start of his young career, the Bengals were pleased with his efforts as he tossed for over 200 yards and a touchdown while rushing four times for 21 yards. He did not turn the ball over while making good decisions against a tough Denver secondary. AJ Green and Marvin Jones will continue to play a key part for the quarterback moving forward until Dalton returns to the field.
