1. Week 16 vs. the Miami Dolphins
We have reached the peak of spiking supremacy, with a Week 16 example for the ages. A spike that will be studied throughout the ages, and a spike worthy of the Quarterback Spike Hall of Fame. There are layers to this spike, so let us dive right in.
In Week 16 of the 2019 NFL season the Bengals were a game away from clinching a big postseason spot. No, not a playoff appearance, but the first-overall draft pick. With a loss to the Dolphins, who were close behind them in the race for the top spot, they would secure that top spot in the draft, and likely a chance to draft Dalton’s replacement.
But fear not, Dalton would not go down without a fight. In the closing moments of this contest Miami held a 35-27 lead, but the Bengals were driving. With a touchdown and a two-point conversion, they would force overtime. Dalton hit Tyler Boyd with a deep throw over the middle to get the ball down to the Dolphins’ 25-yard line, but the ball was snapped with 23 seconds left in the game. The clock was ticking, and the stage was set for spiking superiority:
Beautiful. Simply stunning. Let’s go to the grades.
Situation: 9 points. Again, this is a one-score game. The first-overall pick is at stake. Is Dalton looking to stave off Joe Burrow? Who can say?
Decisiveness: 10 points. This is the stuff legends are made of. The offensive line sprints to the football and the new line of scrimmage, having to travel roughly 20 yards as the clock ticks away. Boyd, who took a shot on the play, is down on the field and clearly hurt. But he knows that if he stays down there will be a runoff, and the Bengals will lose. Summoning the courage of Balboa as he stared down Creed, he wills himself to his feet at Hard Rock Stadium, grabbing his injured left hamstring. For his part, Dalton looks like Washington crossing the Delaware as he brings the team to the line of scrimmage.
Style: 9 points. This is not perfect, but Dalton implements an adrenaline-fueled two-handed shove and then caps it off with a brisk walk to the sideline to talk things over with Taylor. That swagger we saw back in Week 3 has returned.
Result: 10 points. TOUCHDOWN! On the next snap Dalton hits Eifert on a throw over the middle for a 25-yard touchdown, and then caps it off with a two-point conversion run of his own to force overtime…where the Bengals would lose, and secure that first-overall selection.
Whether there are more spikes in Dalton’s future remains to be seen, but his 2019 campaign was a Tour de Spiking Force, and will linger through the generations.