2016 NFL Preseason: 6 Biggest Quarterback Battles
By Erik Lambert
The 2016 NFL preseason will be driven by its roster battles across the league, and none will garner more attention than those between the signal callers.
Every team will have a quarterback battle in some shape or form, most often between backups but there are some out there who know that the starting job could be up for grabs if they play well enough. Here are six such cases to keep a close eye on.
Andy Dalton vs. A.J. McCarron (Cincinnati Bengals)
One would assume the job of starting quarterback still belongs to Andy Dalton. He is a two-time Pro Bowler after all, right? Not so fast. It’s important to remember he got hurt last year and missed a lot of time, which in turn gave the Cincinnati Bengals a look at backup A.J. McCarron whom they’ve been singing the praises of since he was drafted.
The second-year man stepped into a tough situation but managed to win two of the final three regular season games to win the AFC North and then threw the go-ahead touchdown in the playoffs that would’ve won the game had the defense not imploded against Pittsburgh.
His quarterback rating of 68.3, low as that seems is better than any of the four playoff outings Dalton has had. The Bengals coaching staff knows their futures hinge on being able to win in the postseason. McCarron showed he might be their best chance. Don’t dismiss that being a scenario they’re considering.
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