National Football League

Dalton gets chance to change perceptions right away

Published Sep. 3, 2014 7:10 p.m. ET

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CINCINNATI -- There are a plenty of Andy Dalton doubters out there in NFL land. The fact that the Bengals gave their quarterback an extension a month ago shows the organization's brass isn't among those people, but nonetheless Dalton's play will be the focus of attention for many this season.

Dalton has had many successes. He's accomplished things that have put him on the short list of quarterbacks in the annals of NFL history. He's also played some of his worst football on the biggest stages of the game.

Dalton has a chance right away this season to start shifting perceptions. The Bengals open up the regular season at Baltimore, one of Dalton's top tormentors.

This would be as good of a time as any for Dalton to stand up to the bully and show he's not a pushover.

"It's a tough task, especially they've got a good atmosphere there and it's tough when you're playing a good team as well," said Dalton on Wednesday. "You've got to be sharp. I think turnovers have been key in those games. Staying ahead, staying the course. We've played a lot of close games there, we just haven't been able to come out on top. So it's all the little things that get you to win on the road, that's our focus."

OK, so that's not exactly calling out the bully, but Dalton has never been a big call-out type. He's more the style of going about one's business and moving on. Regardless of his temperament, Dalton has to improve against the likes of the Ravens (and the Steelers) if any perception change is going to start taking hold.

Dalton has started six games against the Ravens in his career, playing the full game five times. In those five games he's never had a passer rating greater than 65.7. The Ravens have intercepted him 11 times compared to allowing just six touchdown passes, including seven interceptions in two games last season when Baltimore accounted for nearly 40 percent of the picks that Dalton threw. In three games at M&T Bank Stadium, Dalton has a 58.7 passer rating. Of the 14 times he's been sacked by the Ravens in his career, it's happened 11 times on the road. The Bengals have lost all three games.

"I understand, playing for a while now, that playing on the road is a lot more difficult and you've got to be sharp because the communication is big with the crowd noise and everything," said Dalton. "You've got to make sure everybody's on the same page. It's little things that hurt you, especially when you're on the road."

M&T Bank Stadium is different than most NFL arenas. The atmosphere on game day is more collegiate than professional. The Ravens have got a marching band. The place is purple as purple gets this side of Cincinnati Elder High School's famed on-campus home, The Pit. Baltimore is 39-9 at home since John Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2008, including winning 30 of its last 35 games at M&T Bank. The Bengals haven't won in Baltimore since 2009.

The crowd has a lot to do with that success.

"The people that come to the game on Sunday think their team is invincible and that's a great attitude to have and they carry that into the stadium," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who was Baltimore's first defensive coordinator from 1996-2001.

Harbaugh was quite complimentary of Dalton during Wednesday's conference call with Cincinnati-area media. He knows the advantage his defense has had against Dalton over the years but he's not going to (at least publicly) go pointing it out.

"He's a great quarterback. Congratulations to Andy on the contract. It's obvious that he's earned it and he's one of the guys that you really have to game-plan for," said Harbaugh. "He's got a great arm. He's not afraid to throw it in there to his guys. He gets it out. He understands defenses. It's going to be a big challenge playing him."

It will be a challenge for sure. For Dalton. Everyone wants to know what the Bengals have to do to get over the playoff hump. That can't be answered until January, and they can't ask the question without getting back to the postseason. A win Sunday clinches nothing. But a win Sunday with Dalton playing well in the process will start to change some perceptions.

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