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PrintVirtually every NFL team plays better against poor competition than they do against great competition, but Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals have taken it to extreme levels.
Since Dalton started the 2011 season-opener as a rookie, the Bengals have played nine games against playoff opponents and nine others against non-playoff teams. Their record in those games?
Yep, 0-9 and 9-0, respectively. Furthermore, they’re 1-7-1 ATS against playoff teams and 7-1-1 ATS against non-playoff opponents.
The stats (in the table below) are alarming, too.
Last week, Cincinnati was humiliated in a 44-13 loss at Baltimore on Monday Night Football. Dalton was sacked four times and threw zero touchdowns to one interception.
Now, the Bengals are touchdown favorites at home over Cleveland in Week 2. Are they a good bet?
That’s hard to tell, but they’ve certainly had far more success against weak opponents than strong ones. Take a look for yourself.
| VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS | VS. NON-PLAYOFF TEAMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-Up Record | 0-9 | 9-0 |
| ATS Record | 1-7-1 | 7-1-1 |
| Points Scored | 15.1 | 25.7 |
| Points Allowed | 27.3 | 16.9 |
| Dalton Completion % | 60% | 62% |
| Pass Yards/Game | 229.6 | 201.1 |
| Pass TD | 7 | 13 |
| Interceptions | 11 | 6 |
| Sacks Allowed/Game | 2.0 | 1.6 |
| Dalton QB Rating | 68.5 | 88.0 |
