Ryan sure does like to say "sucks" a lot. That's kinda funny for a media guy. I don't really disagree with much of what he said. I mean, it is what it is. The hell ya gonna do? There are injuries, there's this jacked up offense that never really gets on track, and there's Bradford now getting into a funk because of it. The losing has to weigh heavily on these guys. Any of us that have played at any level know it's a pain in the ass to deal with. Post-game depression, replaying everything in your head, practices again, it becomes a drag.
I don't think McDaniels has what it takes to do what Shurmur did. And that's REALLY simplify things. I know we all hated it, but shit, at least we were scoring points and not getting blown out of the water. ZN put on another board how Dalton is progressing, and it's solely because Gruden made his job REALLY easy. Just how Shurmur did for Bradford. Instead of continuing the maturation process (like Ryan said), McDaniels has completely fucked up his development. Some blame has to go there, and I'm pretty sure Spags has made it clear that something had to change. Because really, the offensive game-plan has changed constantly since the Dallas game. It's never really the same thing. But instead of doing THAT, how about you just take it back to basics and add stuff from there. None of this 5-wide shit. Give Bradford half the field and roll him out - move the pocket - anything to get his confidence back up. I don't know anymore. So frustrating.
Anyway, here's the article about Dalton:
[textarea]Film Room: Bengals vs. Steelers preview
There’s a growing movement to anoint Andy Dalton the Offensive Rookie of the Year instead of Cam Newton. That’s a fair. Dalton’s team is 6-2, Newton’s is 2-6. But let’s keep our perspective and remember that Dalton is NOT the physical specimen that Newton is. He doesn’t have Newton’s arm, wheels or athletic improv skills.
That said, Dalton has been much closer to Newton’s athletic level than anyone would have ever guessed. He has shown the arm strength to make just about every throw that first-year offensive coordinator Jay Gruden has asked of him. He’s been poised when operating from a muddied pocket, and he’s very good at releasing the ball on the move.
[hil]Gruden has done a phenomenal job playing to Dalton’s strengths. The Bengals have a balanced attack that hinges on play-action and rollouts, two concepts that slice the field for a quarterback and help define his reads. Often, the read is simplified even more by throwing to wherever the free safety is not giving help-coverage. If a play is there, it’s easy for the quarterback to see. Gruden also incorporates a lot of three-and five-step drops – another simplification tactic. As a result, the Bengals offense has not only been nearly mistake-free but also calm and consistent.[/hil][/textarea]
So whatever. Blame McDaniels, blame Spagnuolo, blame whoever the hell you want. All I want to see is Bradford back to his old self. Jumping around, excited, eager, in control. Right now he looks like he's processing too much shit at once, and his "safest" option is to follow Lloyd around the field and throw it at him instead of feeling comfortable enough to sit back there and pick his spots. He doesn't get "Brady protection." He gets Carr protection. Adjust accordingly.