You are getting a very good QB, a GREAT man, a true leader.
Andy Dalton fits in very well with The City of Big Shoulders and how the world views the Chicago Bears franchise. Tough. Strong. Durable. Dependable. WINNER.
Andy is a hyper-accurate QB, primarily in the short to mid-ranges. He has a decent deep ball, not fantastic, but good. He sees the field. He knows the defenses. He is very smart.
He is a very good decision maker. He keeps mistakes to a minimum. He knows when to throw the ball away. He manages the game well.
What does he not do that well? He does not scramble very well. He is not an explosive runner. He is pretty fast, but has no wiggle. "Escapability" is not a strength. He is not a showboat kind of guy, and won't be flexing or screaming or talking trash (if you're looking for that kind thing).
His career at Cincinnati was mixed. It started off awesome. Carson Palmer basically quit the team and Dalton (fresh off of a Rose Bowl win for the TCU Horned Frogs over the Wisconsin Badgers) was thrown into the mix. He didn't even have the opportunity to be the starter in training camp. But he led the team to a winning season and a playoff appearance in his rookie year.
The first five years in Cincinnati were pretty great. He did great things for the franchise. While they went to the playoffs five times in a row under Dalton, he only played in four playoff games. He lost his big chance to win a playoff game in 2015 because he tore a ligament in his thumb right before the playoffs. A. J. McCarron lost that game. That was their best team and Andy's best chance. The first four playoff games were not great by Dalton, but really the team choked as a whole. You may remember that the Bengals were a really punky team in those days, and tons of personal fouls and rotten play, especially on defense, lost many of those games. Dalton played well in two of those games, played average in one, didn't play well in another, and again didn't get to play the fifth.
The next four seasons sucked. Dalton persevered, but the team fell apart. He had no offensive line protection, few good weapons, tons of injuries around him, and a freaking coaching carousel.
The ownership group is terrible in Cinci, and the management is worse. I think Dalton had a different offensive coordinator every year for five or more of his years there. Of course, the fans are also pretty rotten, and Dalton got little support from the carousel of coaches, the management, or the fans.
Despite all that, Dalton put together the longest playoff appearance streak in Bengals history, and holds most of their franchise QB records. He remained durable, consistent, and an altogether good to very good QB during his nine years there. On top of it all, Andy and his wife formed the Andy and JJ Dalton Foundation, and they dedicated significant amounts of time and money to helping families of sick children with their hospital bills and overall quality of life. The big thrust of the foundation is to give fun experiences, date nights, and other social boosts to those grieving families. They have improved tens of thousands of lives with that Foundation. It is truly remarkable, and unusually effective compared to most foundations you see out there. Really a first-rate outfit. Andy and his wife give sacrificially with their money. It's cool to watch.
Dalton's 10th season was with the Cowboys. He did pretty well, but as you know, most of the time he was "protected" by an offensive line made up of second and third teamers. I don't think he had the same line from week to week until near the end of the season. He had no time to throw, and the offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had to revamp the offense to change it to a quick-hitting offense, as Dalton typically had anywhere from 1.8 to 2.3 seconds to get the ball off.
The Head Coach of the Cowboys had nothing but good things to say about Dalton. Here's something cool: Apparently Dalton has kept notebooks of every single team and defensive coordinator he has faced in 10 years in the league. It is a treasure trove of information; schemes, plays that were effective, plays that were not effective, player breakdowns, coaching tendencies, everything. He approaches every game like he is a coach. Consummate professional, very diligent. Nobody works harder. First in the facility in the morning, last to leave.
If you will just give this guy a chance, and an offensive line to give him more than 2.3 seconds to throw the damned ball, Andy Dalton will deliver for you. He is a very good NFL QB, especially if he has a line to protect him. He is not Tom Brady, but he is light years better than Foles, Trubisky, or any of the other knuckleheads that you have been living with for the last 20 years in Chicago.
Last word: I am really excited that Andy is going to Chicago. I have liked the Bears since '85. I really love Chicago as a city. I live in Fort Worth and became a Dalton fan because of TCU. But I will be traveling up there to some games this year. The Bears are about to be the new favorite team in our household.
They don't make better people than the Dalton family. Give this guy a chance, some line protection, and some support, and he will make you proud.
