Finding hope with Andy Dalton is difficult for Chicago Bears fans. In their minds, he’s just another in a long line of average quarterbacks they’ll have to stomach. While it’s hard to argue that given his track record, there is at least some room for optimism. Namely his reunion with Bill Lazor. The Bears offensive coordinator worked with Dalton for two years in Cincinnati.
Now, most won’t remember much about that run because the Bengals went 7-9 and 6-10 during those two seasons. Yet when digging into the details, people may be surprised by what they find. Lazor first took over as offensive coordinator in Week 3 of the 2017 season. From there through the first month of 2018, he and Dalton formed a pretty potent combination. The quarterback threw for 4,123 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in 18 games.
The Bengals offense averaged a respectable 22.61 points per game in that stretch.
So why cut off the data after the first month of 2018? Namely, because Cincinnati was slapped with a serious degree of injuries after that. Several of their top offensive players missed significant time including Dalton’s best weapons.
- Giovani Bernard: Missed a month
- Tyler Eifert: Missed 12 games
- A.J. Green: Missed 7 games
- Cordy Glenn: Missed 3 games
- Billy Price: Missed 6 games
Dalton struggled to keep the team afloat as all that happened but just didn’t have any answers until an injury finally sidelined him the rest of the season. People never got to see how far he and Lazor could’ve gone with more time. The coaching staff was fired after that year ended. Now they have a second chance together.
Andy Dalton isn’t a savior but he can still help
“QB1” tweets aside, the Bears knew what they were trying to do when they signed Dalton. A guy doesn’t go to three Pro Bowls by accident. He can be effective when given opportunities. Dalton is smart, efficient, and sees the field far better than either Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles could. If he gets protection, he can put up some solid performances.
Last season was another example. In games where he was sacked two times or less, he threw 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Like any pocket quarterback, Andy Dalton is at the mercy of his protection. Lazor understands this better than anybody and will know how to craft the Bears’ offense around that. This would explain their added investment in the running back position with Damien Williams.
When defenses can’t focus on him, Dalton can hurt them.
At least this offers some semblance of a plan. The Bears aren’t ignorant of their situation. They know Dalton isn’t the franchise quarterback they promised when Trubisky was drafted. He’s a veteran who can be a placeholder for the time being. Think Alex Smith back in Kansas City. Not a star but a leader who can make enough plays to win each week. If the pieces around him stay healthy and the defense doesn’t regress further? Anything can happen.
A lot will be determined by what happens over the next month. If the Bears can deliver another strong draft, then they just might be in business.