Week 2 Loser No. 3: Andy Dalton
By no means did Andy Dalton have a bad game. He was accurate for the most part and only had one interception that was the result of a tipped ball. Still, he is dubbed a “loser” from the outcome of the game due to his inability to stretch the field and throw the ball deep. The same problems from last year’s offense showed up again and nothing is going to change if they cannot get a big gain here and there.
Andy Dalton finished the game 27/38 and 206 yards passing, along with the interception. No touchdowns on the day for Dalton also added to the negative outlook of his performance. The Rams were able to sit on anything medium to deep-range and forced the Bears to play the “check down game” all night.
The offense will be much better under Justin Fields. His athletic ability and deep ball talent will open up the Bears’ offense and even make David Montgomery better as teams will not be able to stack the line of scrimmage. After watching Dalton consistently throw eight to ten yard passes, it is hard for anyone to argue for him to continue playing going forward. Lots can be said about the play-calling and trust in the offensive line, but there are always chances to go for a bigger play.
According to a report by Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Bears do not plan to start Fields until at least Week 4. That means Dalton will be the main guy for the next couple of weeks, so Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor must work to incorporate more aggressiveness into the offense or it could get ugly quickly for the Bears.