Rookie QB Dalton has Bengals playing spoiler

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

Andy Dalton doesn’t have the strongest arm. He’s not the fastest runner. In his first four NFL games, he has shown a lot of resolve.

The Bengals rookie quarterback orchestrated his first NFL game-winning drive on Sunday, leading Cincinnati to a 23-20 victory over previously unbeaten Buffalo. Dalton scored the tying touchdown on a 3-yard run, then kept the winning drive alive by diving for a first down.

Not pretty, but impressive.

“It’s not about whether he’s got Superman talent or all this,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “He knows how to get you in and out of the huddle and put you in the good situations, and he’s going to play with his heart. And that’s going to help you win football games.”

So far, they’ve won two of them, leaving them halfway to their win total last season. The Bengals (2-2) have one of the AFC’s least-experienced teams, but seem to be growing a little bit in front of those small crowds at Paul Brown Stadium.

The second-round draft pick went from playing like a raw rookie to a clutch quarterback against the Bills (3-1), who got ahead 17-3 during Dalton’s dreadful first half. He threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and was only 7 of 20 for 116 yards with a pair of sacks.

Didn’t faze him.

“We have a great quarterback in Andy, and he didn’t flinch one time out there,” rookie receiver A.J. Green said. “He had a couple of passes that were off, but he came back strong.”

Dalton repeatedly overthrew his receivers in the first half and forced throws into coverage. In the second half, he went 11 of 16 for 182 yards without a sack.