On the heels of Andy Dalton's epic stinkeragainst the Browns, the Bengals aren't giving up on their embattled franchise quarterback.
Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson on Friday accepted plenty of blame for a performance that saw Dalton tie a career low in completions (10) and suffer his worst outing in terms of completion percentage (30.3) and passer rating (2.0).
"I'm joined at the hip with him. I understand that's the way it goes," said Jackson, per ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. "I have not run from that. As he gets killed, I get killed. That's the way it goes. That's part of the business.
"But I don't want us to think we're going to have an issue with Andy. We're not. We're going to coach Andy. We're going to help Andy get to where he needs to be. That's my job. We're going to coach him, continue to get him better, continue to grow."
Jackson has guided a laundry list of NFL quarterbacks, but he didn't need to dig deep to find the best example of a passer bouncing back from a disastrous start.
We don't doubt that Dalton will correct some of the flaws that plagued him against the Browns, but Bengals fans can't be blamed for feeling a wave of unease over the play of their franchise quarterback.
Instead of making the leap some predicted under Jackson, it's more of the same from a signal-caller known for turning out his ugliest handiwork when the spotlight burns brightest.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 10 game and recaps the Browns' blowout win over the Bengals. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.