Tag: Andy Dalton

Peter King latest to say Andy Dalton should replace Tom Brady for Patriots

Andy Dalton and the Patriots just popped up again.

The idea of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton going to the New England Patriots to replace Tom Brady just keeps coming up.

Strange, to say the least. First, it was Bart Scott making the suggestion on ESPN.

And now it’s Peter King of NBC Sports (h/t Adam London of NESN):

“One of the guys I think — and I know people are going to laugh at this — I think Bill Belichick would really like to work with is Andy Dalton because Andy Dalton is a football player, you know? He’s not Tom Brady. He’s not gonna go down in the pantheon, I get it. Guys who are gonna go down in the pantheon at age 32 are not available, OK? Russell Wilson’s not available. I think Andy Dalton would be a very compelling guy to either be their quarterback for a while or to be their bridge guy to the next quarterback or to take Jarrett Stidham under his wing as Brady did some this year and make the best of Jarrett Stidham for 2021 and beyond.”

At this point, the idea is coming up so often it almost seems purposeful as the Patriots and Brady head into another contract squabble.

Either way, we’d be remiss not to mention the good relationship between the Patriots and Bengals — Mike Brown loves trading with Bill Belichick.

It’s hard to imagine Brady leaving the Patriots but the Bengals and Dalton are something to keep in mind of the shocking ends up happening.

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Bart Scott says Andy Dalton would make a good Tom Brady replacement for Patriots

Here’s an interesting idea about Tom Brady and Andy Dalton.

Andy Dalton’s future with the Cincinnati Bengals is up for debate with the team clutching the 2020 draft’s first pick. Theories about his playing future continue to circulate.

A new one? Dalton joining the New England Patriots to replace Tom Brady.

This one comes courtesy of Bart Scott on ESPN’s Get Up during a discussion about who should replace Brady if he goes to a different team or retires.

The discussion unfolds in the video above (starts at the 4:10 mark). Scott’s reasoning:

“I think Andy Dalton’s a guy who has had a lot of experience, lots of success in this league. I think he fits the mold. I think he’s still a mobile quarterback. He’s going to be available. I think Andy Dalton’s the guy I would go with because he has experience in the AFC.”

It’s hard to imagine Brady would up and leave the Patriots at this point before his age-43 season, but there’s no denying he’s finally regressed to a degree, especially under pressure.

As for Dalton, the theories generally span ideas he’d go start somewhere else or perhaps stick around for his final year under contract in a mentor role. He wanted a trade after getting benched but was eventually reinserted into the starting lineup. Obviously, he wants to start somewhere and pairing with Bill Belichick would be an opportunity most passers would jump at.

Dalton’s departure, be it cut or trade, seems likely and when it comes to drafting his replacement, as Scott would put it, Bengals fans can’t wait.

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Andy Dalton hopes QB-needy teams saw his tape from last two weeks

Andy Dalton hopes other teams were watching.

Andy Dalton hopes other teams were watching.

Dalton hasn’t pulled any punches about the reality of his situation with the Cincinnati Bengals — he’s likely getting replaced by Joe Burrow.

While the Bengals might like to have him in a sort of mentor role, Dalton has remained adamant he wants to start in the NFL. He told the media after Week 17 he hopes teams see his last two weeks of tape.

“If I’m not here you want other teams to see what I can do,” Dalton said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “You want to put good tape out there. Hopefully they saw the last couple of weeks how things went.”

From a box-score perspective, Dalton has been fine. He’s technically thrown five touchdowns against one interception over his last two games (never mind the one score and four picks the week prior). The problem is four of his scores against Miami came late in a comeback and he didn’t hit the 200-yard mark in the win over Cleveland.

Really, Dalton wasn’t going to change another team’s mind over the course of two meaningless games. He’s got a lengthy career on film as it is. What’s telling here is another reminder he wants out the door if he isn’t given a chance to start in Cincinnati.

Whether another team views him as a starter at all makes for one of the most interesting offseason storylines out there.

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Should Bears trade for QB Andy Dalton this offseason?

With QB Mitchell Trubisky’s future in question, could the Bears trade for an experienced veteran like Bengals QB Andy Dalton?

There’s still one game remaining in what’s been a disappointing season for the Bears, but thoughts have turned to the offseason, where Chicago will have plenty of questions to answer.

But the most important question surrounds the quarterback position and how the Bears will address it.

Mitchell Trubisky has struggled immensely this season, although the entire offense has been bad. But in his third season, Trubisky has yet to show that he can be a consistent quarterback for this franchise.

Trubisky will surely remain on Chicago’s roster in 2020, but they’re also likely to bring in competition for Trubisky this offseason. They can do that through free agency, where there will be some options, the NFL Draft or even the trade market.

According to Bleacher Report, the Bears should trade for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton this offseason.

The Bears would be contenders were it not for the sporadic play of Mitchell Trubisky, who has thrown just 17 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions during a 7-8 season. Three seasons after they drafted Trubisky second overall, the Bears could use a veteran who can play off their elite defense to make a serious postseason push.

The Bears are an offense away from being championship contender, and that starts with the quarterback. While the Bears were able to win the NFC North last season, that was due in large part to their defense playing lights out football.

While it would be silly for the Bears to give up on Trubisky after just three seasons, they can’t afford another wasted season with this defense. Chicago could follow the Titans model, where they had Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill on the roster. When Mariota continued to struggle, they replaced him with Tannehill and have found success on offense. Tannehill might even be looking at a contract extension with Tennessee after his season.

It’s not a question if the Bears will bring in another quarterback — or quarterbacks — it’s just a matter of who. And Dalton makes plenty of sense for the Bears.

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What Andy Dalton said about his future as Bengals QB, serving as mentor for rookie

Andy Dalton heads into what could be his last week with the Bengals.

Andy Dalton might play his last game with the Cincinnati Bengals over the weekend.

Dalton’s weekly presser got pushed to Thursday because of the holiday and it was extensive in nature, as expected for a veteran who some don’t expect to return next season.

But when asked about what could make him want to stay or leave Cincinnati, Dalton kept it simple:

“We’ll have to handle that when the season is over. We’ll have to see what the organization is thinking and then we’ll move forward from there.”

This wound up phrased in such a way because Dalton was visibly upset at the trade deadline when the team benched him, even admitting his reps were looking for trade opportunities.

Meaning, Dalton still wants to be a starter in this league. He was asked if he’d come back as a mentor for a rookie:

“I’m under contract, so I don’t know what they’re going to be thinking. We’ll figure all of this stuff out once the season is over.”

It’s the best non-answer possible for a guy who wants to remain playing as a starter in the NFL. And while Dalton said some incredible things about his relationship with the community of Cincinnati away from the field (things of much more importance), the bigger narrative will focus on his playing future.

With the Bengals seemingly careening toward Joe Burrow at first overall, Sunday could indeed be Dalton’s last game for the Bengals. If the long-term direction of the franchise and the quarterback’s reaction to events near the trade deadline clash again, things could get interesting this offseason.

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Touchdown Wire’s Week 17 NFL Power Rankings — Playoff picture becoming clearer

On the heels of a wild weekend that transformed the NFL playoff picture, Touchdown Wire unveils its weekly NFL Power Rankings.

 

 

 

Touchdown Wire’s Week 17 NFL Power Rankings — Playoff picture becoming clearer

On the heels of a wild weekend that transformed the NFL playoff picture, Touchdown Wire unveils its weekly NFL Power Rankings.

Heading into Week 17, we already know the Baltimore Ravens are the best team in the league and the Cincinnati Bengals are the worst.

In Week 16, we found out two positive certainties for the Ravens and Bengals. First, by guaranteeing the league’s worst record, the Bengals clinched the No. 1 spot in the 2020 NFL draft.

At least at the moment, it appears likely they’ll use it on Heisman Trophy winner and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. That’s the silver lining in Cincinnati’s dismal season.

Baltimore earned a gift with its great season. At 13-2, the Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, meaning they have a bye and hold home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Lots of other scenarios were clinched in Week 16. But many more, including a number of playoff seeds, won’t be known until after Week 17.

We touch on that and more in this week’s Touchdown Wire NFL Power Rankings.

 

32. Cincinnati Bengals

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

(1-14. Last week: 32)

Finally, there’s something to celebrate in Cincinnati. It took an overtime loss to Miami, but the Bengals officially clinched the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. That almost certainly will be used on a quarterback, and most draft experts currently believe LSU’s Joe Burrow is the top prospect. While that seems like a certainty, the status of first-year head coach Zac Taylor isn’t a given. Bengals owner Mike Brown has been notoriously patient and frugal in the past, but a one- or two-win season may not be enough for Taylor to survive. Besides, there is plenty of room to question Taylor’s decision to go back to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton after briefly benching him in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. Yeah, Dalton threw four touchdown passes Sunday, but it’s clear he’s got no future with the Bengals. Apparently, Finley doesn’t either. This looks like a team that already has settled on Burrow.

31. Washington Redskins

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

(3-12. Last week: 31)

There hasn’t been much for Washington fans to cheer for this season, especially after Sunday’s overtime loss to the New York Giants dropped the Redskins into sole possession of last place in the NFC East. But there is one bright spot: the play of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Coming off the best game of his career, Haskins continued to show progress by completing 12 of 15 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns before leaving with an ankle injury. That means whoever is coaching the Redskins next year might already have his quarterback. The Redskins are going to have a premium draft pick and might decide on Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, who is more of a sure thing than any of the quarterbacks who will be available.

30. Detroit Lions

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

(3-11-1. Last week: 29)

Things continued to get worse for Detroit with a 27-17 loss to Denver. That was to be expected because the Lions are down to third-string quarterback David Blough, who totaled just 117 passing yards and took four sacks against the Broncos. This season has long been over for the Lions. But the real story here is about next season. Ownership came out last week and firmly said that coach Matt Patricia will be back for a third year and general manager Bob Quinn also will return. That’s somewhat surprising since Patricia’s tenure has been a disaster, and there haven’t been many signs of progress. But I can see the case for giving Patricia another year. He deserves a shot to see what he can do with quarterback Matthew Stafford healthy all season. If Patricia can’t win with Stafford, then it will be time to move on.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

(5-10. Last week: 27)

The Jaguars made news last week by firing executive vice president Tom Coughlin. Some assume that means coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell are safe for next season, but that’s not necessarily the case. Marrone has lost 21 of 31 games since taking the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game after the 2017 season. Coughlin’s firing was about more than the team’s record. It was a reaction by owner Shad Kahn after the NFL Players Association issued a warning to players about signing with the Jaguars due to a high number of grievances against the organization. Those issues were a poor reflection on Coughlin. But the team’s poor record is a reflection on Marrone and Caldwell. Kahn might be better off cleaning house and starting over again.

28. Miami Dolphins

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

(4-11. Last week: 30)

Remember back early in the season when everyone thought the Dolphins were purposely losing to acquire better draft picks? At first, it seemed to be true, but they were just good enough to win their way out of the top pick — and it was fitting that their overtime win against Cincinnati helped the Bengals clinch the No. 1 pick. Miami stuck with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over second-year pro Josh Rosen most of the season. That was pointless, because Fitzpatrick is no long-term answer for a team that needs a major rebuild. By missing out on the No. 1 pick, the Dolphins apparently will miss out on consensus No. 1 quarterback prospect Joe Burrow. They probably still will draft a quarterback. Instead of Burrow, it likely will be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

27. New York Giants

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

(4-11. Last week: 28)

Sure, the Giants are 4-11, and Sunday’s victory against a bad Washington team came in overtime. But I’m going to go way out on a limb and declare the Giants the favorite to win the NFC East in 2020. Seriously. Why? The Giants have the brightest future of the bunch. You could see Sunday that the Giants are set at quarterback and running back for the long term. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones returned from injury and threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns. Second-year running back Saquon Barkley ran for 189 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 90 yards and another touchdown. Jones and Barkley could be superstars. Sure, there’s plenty of work to be done on the defense, at receiver and on the offensive line. But Jones and Barkley give the Giants hope and something to build around. Their presence and promise probably is enough to keep coach Pat Shurmur employed.

26. Carolina Panthers

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

(5-10. Last week: 25)

Perhaps the most insightful NFL quote of the week came from veteran Carolina tight end Greg Olsen, who has a bright future in broadcasting. After an embarrassing loss to Indianapolis, Olsen put Carolina’s situation into perfect context.

“It’s a really tough way to operate,” Olsen said. “Players are underperforming. It’s right now a very collective failure, organizationally a failure.”

The Panthers might be in the most disarray they’ve been in since coach George Seifert’s final year, a 1-15 season in 2001. Interim coach Perry Fewell hasn’t come close to winning a game since taking over when Ron Rivera was fired. It’s become obvious that Fewell will not get the permanent job. Owner David Tepper has to go out and find the right guy. If general manager Marty Hurney sticks around and has any input, his track record suggest he’ll favor a rising coordinator and not a former head coach or a college coach.

25. Los Angeles Chargers

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

(5-10. Last week: 23)

The Chargers lost to the Raiders on Sunday, but the big story here came in the postgame. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers told reporters he wants to continue playing. Rivers is 38 and in the final year of his contract.

“I’m capable enough physically and mentally, there’s no question,” Rivers said. “Yes, I do want to play football. I do, and that’s how I feel deep down as I stand here.”

But the bigger question is do the Chargers want Rivers back? Despite all he’s done for the franchise through the years, Rivers has endured a bad season. His 18 interceptions rank second in the NFL to Jameis Winston’s 28. The Chargers have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams and haven’t developed much of a fan base in Los Angeles. They’ll be moving into a new stadium next year, and it might be time for an infusion of excitement at quarterback, whether through the draft or via free agency.

32-25 | 24-17 | 16-9 | 8-1

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Andy Dalton, Tyler Boyd say those hoping for Bengals loss aren’t ‘true fans’

Two Bengals stars had some interesting comments after the loss.

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Cincinnati Bengals players didn’t come close to quitting during Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.

But fans of the team could be forgiven for hoping for a loss — doing so meant the Bengals wrapped up the first pick in the 2020 draft.

But team leaders like Andy Dalton and Tyler Boyd aren’t happy about the segment of fans hoping for a loss.

Here’s what Dalton told the media after the game:

“You don’t view that. None of those people are — those types of fans, they aren’t true fans. If you’re a fan of the team, you want them to win, you want them to be successful. Every time you’re out there, you want to win.”

And Boyd:

Odds are Dalton probably wishes he could have that one back. It’s silly to decry fans as not “true” fans because they cheer for a certain result — cheering for a loss Sunday was because those fans believe it is truly in the best interests of the franchise for the long-term.

Fans don’t need this watered down to understand — most surely get that they should be rooting for this team no matter what, and especially the individuals on it putting in the work. But they can’t blindly pretend they don’t understand the draft implications, either.

Particularly for Cincinnati fans, it’s unfortunate to hear this sort of wording from players given what they’ve been through over the years. That these true fans have stuck through it all and finally have something to be excited for isn’t something they should feel guilt over now.

Luckily for all, everyone can get back on the same page now — everyone wants to see the Bengals whip the Browns to close the season.

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Tunnel Vision of Week 16

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Andy Dalton 396 – 0 4
 Daniel Jones 352 – 12 5
 Ryan Fitzpatrick 419 – 9 4
 Lamar Jackson 238 – 103 3
 Ryan Tannehill 272 – 8 3
Running Backs Yards TD
Saquon Barkley 279 2
Kenyan Drake 194 2
Alvin Kamara 110 2
Miles Sanders 156 1
Philip Lindsay  118 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Tyler Boyd 128 2
Michael Thomas 136 1
Steven Sims 73 3
Tajae Sharpe 69 2
Davante Parker 111 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Mark Andrews 93 2
Jared Cook 84 2
Mike Gesicki 82 2
Kaden Smith 35 2
Dallas Goedert 91 1
Placekickers XP FG
Sam Ficken 1 3
Nick Folk 1 3
Kai Forbath 0 3
Ka’imi Fairbairn 2 3
Matt Gay 2 2
Defense Sck-TO TD
Colts 5 – 3 2
Texans 3 – 5 1
Buccaneers 5 – 2 0
Jets 4 – 2 0
Rams 6 – 2 0

Check back next week for the Annual Huddle Awards

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Mark Ingram – Calf
RB James Conner – Thigh
QB Mason Rudolph – Shoulder
QB Dwayne Haskins – Ankle
RB Myles Gaskin – Ankle
WR D.J. Moore – Concussion
TE Zach Ertz – Ribs
RB Chris Carson – Hip
QB Kyler Murray – Hamstring
RB Spencer Ware – Shoulder
RB C.J. Prosise – Broken arm

Chasing Ambulances

It is possible that a few leagues use Week 17 and could have these players in question. Even better – use Week 17 to go play a daily game or two. And replacement players are always cheap to use.

RB Mark Ingram – Suffered a calf injury and left the game. He’ll rest in Week 17 regardless and allow Gus Edwards and Justice Hill to replace him. Edwards always gets more carries and would be the better option when they host the Steelers this week.

RB James Conner – Left with a calf injury in the loss to the Jets.  The Steelers used a committee of Benny Snell, Jaylen Samuels, and Kerrith Whyte to replace him. They play in Baltimore so there would be marginal fantasy value with just one back. And none with three or even four running backs.

TE Zach Ertz – Left with a rib injury and Dallas Goedert led all receivers with nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Cowboys. The Eagles have to win this week to take the NFC East and Ertz will play if there is any chance. He could be limited though depending on how bad the rib injury is. Goedert is a worthy consideration anyway since the Eagles are almost out of receivers.

RB Chris Carson – Injured his hip and early reports have him likely to miss the rest of the year. But Rashaad Penny already beat him to the injured reserve and C.J. Prosise just broke his arm. Travis Homer is the top of the depth chart at last for now. He is a sixth-round rookie with eight rushing attempts and six receptions over the last four games.  He’s an obvious step down from Carson and the Seahawks face the 49ers this week. They will promote a practice squad guy or find a free agent or both. Limited if any real value this week, though.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR Michael Thomas – He set the new NFL record with 145 catches in a season and he still has one more game against the Panthers. In their last meeting during Week 12, Thomas caught 11 passes for 101 yards and a score on the Panthers. 150 is not out of reach and 155 sounds like an average game.

WR DeAndre Hopkins – Faced the No. 32 ranked defense against wide receivers and only caught five passes for 23 yards. And yes, as mind-bending as that seems, it was his worst performance all year – right when you needed him most.

WR Breshad Perriman – For the last four games, he’s gained at least 70 yards and topped 100 yards in the last two. Perriman blew up with 113 yards and three touchdowns in Week 15 after Mike Evans was gone and he laid down seven receptions for 102 yards this week. What will the Bucs do with three viable receivers? Hard to say since Perriman was only signed for one year and will be a free agent in 2020.

TE Tyler Higbee – In his three previous seasons, Higbee never gained 100 yards and averaged just around 17 yards per game. He rarely caught more than two passes and even went seven different weeks without a catch despite playing. When Gerald Everett went out injured in Week 12, there were no expectations on what Higbee might do other than play like he had for three and a half years. But he turned in at least seven catches for 100 yards in each of the last four games. He is the highest-scoring tight end for the last month. He is the third-highest scoring receiver, period.

RB Devonta Freeman – Yet another head-scratcher. Freeman does little all year and yet in Week 16, he ran for 53 yards and a touchdown, plus caught nine passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Jaguars. It was his best game of the year and double the fantasy points from ten other of his games this season.

QB Will Grier – The Panthers’ third-round pick finally took his debut start in the loss to the Colts. He only completed 27 of 44 passes for 224 yards and three interceptions. But – he connected 15 times with Christian McCaffrey and his other 13 completions were spread over eight players. At least he was kind to the McCaffrey owners in their championships – because he was in a lot of them.

WR Tyler Boyd – There were a lot of players that saved their best games for the fantasy championships, even if they sunk their owner’s chances long ago. Boyd only scored three times this season and just once in his first ten games. At Miami this week, he ended with nine catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns.  He turned in just three receptions for 26 yards the previous week.

TE Mike Gesicki – The second-round pick by the Dolphins in 2018, Gesicki did little and never scored until Week 12 of this year. He followed that with a score this next week with 79 yards against the Eagles. In Week 16, he ended with six receptions for 82 yards and two more touchdowns. Worth noting for next year.

RB Alvin Kamara – Ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns at Tennessee and added six catches for 30 yards. That’s a better game than his previous four combined. He only had one rushing touchdown in his first 14 games.

RB Miles Sanders – The Eagles have always employed a committee backfield under HC Doug Pederson. But Jordan Howard remains out and Sanders comes off a big game with 79 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries plus five receptions for 77 yards in the win over the Cowboys. Jordan Howard was only signed for 2019, so could it be? I bet not. Shame though.

RB Kenyan Drake – Where was this when he was in Miami? Drake ran for 166 yards and two scores plus caught three passes for 18 yards. After his first touchdown, he celebrated by pretending to open a safe, load money in a bag and then throw it over his shoulder and walk away. He had 146 total yards and a score last week. And yes, he’s going to be carrying a big bag of money when he becomes a free agent next year.

4,000-yard passers – These quarterbacks have a shot at 4,000 yards on the season (Name and need) – Russell Wilson (123), Patrick Mahomes (143), Deshaun Watson (148), Tom Brady (164), Carson Wentz (250). That would make ten this year and there were 12 in 2018.

1,000-yard rushers – These running backs are close to the mark – Joe Mixon (25), Phillip Lindsay (42), Saquon Barkley (89).

1,000-yard receivers – It’s not just for wideouts anymore – Austin Ekeler (50), Christian McCaffrey (67), Tyler Boyd (13), DJ Chark (26), Mike Williams (37), Odell Beckham (46), A.J. Brown (73), Terry McLaurin (81), George Kittle (33), and Zach Ertz (84).

Huddle player of the week

RB Saquon Barkley  –  This is ironic. The first pick in most fantasy drafts has been a bust against all expectations. He missed three games and never ran for 100 yards since Week 2. There are not a lot of teams that weathered such a bad flop from their No. 1 pick. But those that did were rewarded with 22 carries for 189 yards and one touchdown, plus four receptions for 90 more yards and a second score. It was everything you expected and never got. Until Week 16.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Andy Dalton 396 4 QB Deshaun Watson 220 0
RB DeAndre Washington 106 1 RB Nick Chubb 45 0
RB Rex Burkhead 97 1 RB Chris Carson 60 0
WR Steven Sims 64 2 WR DJ Chark 18 0
WR Tajae Sharpe 69 2 WR Amari Cooper 24 0
WR Hunter Renfrow 107 1 WR DeAndre Hopkins 23 0
TE Mike Gesicki 82 2 TE Zach Ertz 28 0
PK Sam Ficken  1  XP   3 FG PK Chris Boswell 1 XP 1 FG
Huddle Fantasy Points = 152 Huddle Fantasy Points = 29

Now get back to work… and Merry Christmas!

Andy Dalton did his best to fend off Joe Burrow to Bengals with late rally vs. Dolphins

Andy Dalton did his best to stave off the Bengals landing LSU QB Joe Burrow in April’s draft with a furious fourth-quarter rally to force the game into overtime.

Andy Dalton did his best to stave off the Bengals landing LSU QB Joe Burrow in April’s draft with a furious fourth-quarter rally to force the game into overtime, after the Bengals trailed 35-13.

Unfortunately, the Bengals couldn’t hold Miami at the end of overtime, Jason Sanders kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired, and the Bengals fell to 1-14 in the year with a 38-35 overtime loss.

The loss means the Bengals have officially clinched the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft and Joe Burrow better start packing his bags for Cincinnati.

With Joe Mixon fighting a stomach bug, Dalton had to shoulder a lot of the load. Even though Mixon still received 21 carries, he didn’t do a lot with them, totaling just 50 yards on the ground.

Dalton finished 33/56 for 396 yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in the fourth quarter. But the offense sputtered in overtime with a pair of three-and-outs. Miami got into Cincinnati territory, ran the clock down and sent Cincinnati packing to the top spot in the draft with one game left.

Cincinnati has one game left against the Cleveland Browns. Then all eyes will be on Burrow in the draft process. LSU actually plays their semifinal game against Oklahoma the day before the Bengals take the field for Week 17. If LSU wins, it’s on to the championship game on January 13 and then possibly the Senior Bowl and the Combine.

Andy Dalton is at least making his final moments as a Bengals fun. But the clock is officially ticking on Dalton’s time as a Bengal. And the Bengals are unofficially officially on the clock.

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