The Cincinnati Bengals are facing a pretty big dilemma after their quarterback Andy Dalton went down on Sunday with a fractured thumb. On the bright side, Dalton met with doctors today, who determined that he will not need to have surgery on his thumb. Still, sources are saying that it could take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to heal, which means that he could likely be out for the rest of the season. The amount of time that he will be sidelined will ultimately be determined by how quickly he can heal.
Dalton went down during the Bengals’ opening drive yesterday in a game against their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. On second and goal, Dalton threw an interception in the red zone, which was picked off by Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt. Dalton attempted to tackle Tuitt and injured his right thumb in the process. After the play, he left the field and returned to the sidelines later with a cast on his hand.
With three games left in the season and the playoffs looming in the near future, the Bengals will have to rely on backup quarterback AJ McCarron, the former star out of Alabama. In McCarron’s first big game yesterday, he threw for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns but the Bengals ended up losing 33-20 to the Steelers.
McCarron might be able to hold the Bengals together for the rest of the season with upcoming games against the 49ers, Broncos, and the Ravens. However, come January, the possible absence of Dalton in a playoff game could signal yet another devastating end to a great season for the Bengals.
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