Bengals OC Hue Jackson trusts his eyes. He sees a different Andy Dalton.
"I think he's throwing the ball fantastic," Jackson said. "I really do. He's improved. I see it. I see it on the practice field."
"I see a very confident player who goes in and calls the play and makes decisions, who redirected things and gets us in the right place," Jackson said. "There's not a lot of negative football plays. That's what you want. He's taken charge and control."
For a guy who has finished #17, #12 and #4 in his first three seasons, Dalton doesn’t get a whole lot of respect. He’d be ranked higher this year if not for new OC Hue Jackson’s propensity to run the ball. However, Jackson’s 2011 Raiders threw the ball 52.9% of the time with Carson Palmer under center, which isn’t too far off the Bengals’ 55.0% pass rate in 2013. We’re expecting fewer pass attempts, but Dalton should still be a quality option for owners who like to stream the position or draft a committee.