Andy Dalton’s first start during his second stint in the role this year won’t be an easy one.
Thank New York Jets budding star Jamal Adams.
For the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, Adams reminds him a bit of a guy named Troy Polamalu, as he told the media:
“With Troy, he was so smart and understood exactly what they were doing on defense and how offenses were trying to attack. Jamal is similar. He can start down (toward the line of scrimmage) and run out to the half (of the field he’s covering), and he can do all the different things that Troy did.”
Polamalu, of course, tormented the Bengals from 2003-2014 with the Steelers.
Adams, just 24, is clearly on his way to such heights. Over 11 games this year, he’s put up 63 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15 pressures and allowed just 15 completions on 27 targets.
As Dalton tries to go to work without A.J. Green again, he’ll have to hope a struggling offensive line can counter Adams’ creative pressures and otherwise always find him when he drops back to cover.
Like with Polamalu, easier said than done.
[vertical-gallery id=25186]