Dalton failed to deliver, and that’s it
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton didn’t do anything to disprove his critics Sunday afternoon.
Dalton threw two interceptions and had a fumble in the second half of the Bengals’ 27-10 loss to the San Diego Chargers in an AFC wild-card game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.
The former TCU standout is now 0-3 in the postseason after previous losses tothe Houston Texans in 2011 and 2012.
Columnist Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that Dalton is under the gun.
“I’ve said all year Dalton was a guy on the cusp, needing a Big Moment effort to validate his progress. Yesterday was the biggest. He flopped,” Daugherty wrote.
“Until he stops flopping, this team will go no further. QB success is that important this time of year. The QB is a starting pitcher, and every game now is Game 7. The cliche about a quarterback getting too much praise/blame simply isn’t true.
Could you praise Andrew Luck any more after Saturday? Nope.
Colin Kaepernick Sunday? Nope.
Fair or not, QBs are judged on what they do in the footlights.
“When the game was on the line, Dalton committed 3 turnovers in a row. Period. End of discussion.”Moving on
With the Tennessee Titans’ firing of Coach Mike Munchak on Saturday, it ended what General Manager Ruston Webster called a transitional period for the franchise.
Columnist David Climer of The Tennessean in Nashville, Tenn., hopes the Titans can move forward.
“I guess that explains it. The period between Jeff Fisher’s exit in January 2011 and the death of Bud Adams last October was ‘a pretty major transition.’ All this time, I thought it was mediocre football. Now I know it was just a transitional period,” Climer wrote.
“Fine. Now can we transition to something else, like maybe a team that gives the fans and this city a reason to believe better days are ahead and that the occasional 9-7 record is not a glass ceiling?
“It’s time for a fresh start.
Granted, installing a new coaching staff - especially in the NFL - is a crapshoot. It’s not like college football where you can bring in a super salesman to ramp up recruiting and promote the brand. You don’t get to rewrite your roster.
“Still, the thought of finally going outside the family for new coaching blood and a different philosophy is encouraging. This has been a hand-me-down franchise for almost two decades, and that’s too long.
When Jack Pardee resigned after a 1-9 start in 1994, Fisher was promoted from within. When Fisher exited in the winter of 2011, Munchak was elevated to the head coaching position.
“Fortunately, there’s nobody currently on staff who will be considered for the job this time.”They said it
Former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman John Moffitt, via Twitter, on former teammate Marshawn Lynch receiving a $50,000 fine from the NFL for not speaking to the media: “You do not have the right to remain silent @MoneyLynch. Anything u do or say the NFL wants a piece of to sell to the highest bidder haha.”
CBSSports.com writer Pete Prisco: “If the 49ers need Ric Flair for motivation they have problems.”Quote of the day “We had the feeling we could do it.” Arkansas State wide receiver Allen Muse, who caught the game
winning touchdown pass
in the Red Wolves’ 23-20 victory over Ball State in Sunday’s GoDaddy Bowl
Sports, Pages 18 on 01/07/2014