The Bengals escaped with a win Sunday at Tampa Bay, but little credit belongs to quarterback Andy Dalton.
Dalton completed 19 of 27 for 176 yards and a 13-yard scoring strike to favorite target A.J. Green that put his team ahead to stay. He also tallied on a 5-yard run, but was otherwise ineffective. Dalton threw three interceptions, all in the second quarter, including one on his first pass and another into double-coverage in the end zone.
He did perform better after intermission, completing 12 of 16 for 114 yards and the score with two minutes left in the third quarter.
Dalton will seek great consistency and production when Cincinnati hosts Pittsburgh in a critical AFC North showdown next Sunday.