The Bengals’ hopes of ending their long wait for a playoff win went down with a resounding thud on Sunday thanks in large part to the performance of quarterback Andy Dalton.
Dalton threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as the Bengals offense melted down in the second half of a 27-10 home loss to the Chargers. That makes for total of six interceptions in three playoff losses and an offseason of questions about whether the Bengals will need to change quarterbacks to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs.
After the game, Dalton said he understood that blame for a loss like Sunday’s falls on the quarterback’s shoulders and that he was going to be getting a lot of it in the near future.
“Unfortunately, the last three years, we haven’t been able to win one of these playoff games,” Dalton said, via the team’s website. “Obviously, there is going to be a lot of criticism and talk, but until you win and prove people wrong, people can say whatever they want.”
Marvin Lewis said he had no questions about Dalton’s role in the future of the team as a result of Sunday’s performance, but some have to be asked in Cincinnati. Dalton’s heading into the final year of his contract, necessitating a decision about how both how long they want him running the offense and how much they’re willing to pay for the opportunity.