CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has started his fifth NFL season at a blistering passing pace.
In the first two regular season games, both Bengal wins, Dalton has completed 68 percent of his throws for 483 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 120.
But strong starts are becoming the norm for Dalton. If history holds true, what he does over the next two games could determine how the Bengals finish the first quarter of the season.
The Bengals face division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday in game three of the 2015-2016 season.
Since his rookie year in 2011, Dalton has been red hot in the Bengals’ first two games.
Overall, he’s completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,560 yards, 16 touchdowns, four interceptions and an average passer rating of 104. The Bengals are 7-3 in those games.
But in the next two games, he’s typically cooled off, completing about 60 percent of his passes for 1,841, 10 touchdowns, nine interceptions and an average passer rating of 86.
The Bengals are 5-3 thus far in those third and fourth-game stretches, and have won back-to-back games only once — in 2012.
That also was the only year Dalton’s third and fourth-game stats were better than those he posted in games one and two.
Check out Dalton’s stats in different game situations and conditions with our interactive database that tracks every pass he’s thrown during a regular-season or playoff game.
