Jets vs. Bengals 2013 results: Andy Dalton proves doubters wrong in 49-9 win

Andy Dalton ascended from “very good” to “great” on Sunday.

by James Dator

Oct 27, 2013, 11:07 PM UTC

Andy Lyons

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James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was able to do what Tom Brady couldn't -- face the vaunted New York Jets defense and have a huge passing game in a victory. Sunday's game became easy for Dalton and the offense, as he almost tied the single-game passing record in a 49-9 win.

Dalton threw for 325 yards and five touchdowns in the win. He targeted eight different receivers, causing both Marvin Jones and A.J. Green to finish with over 100 yards receiving on the day. In the past it's been easy to say Dalton is a good, but not great quarterback who benefits from the weapons around him, but he's started to transcend this criticism of late.

The emergence of Jones is particularly important to Cincinnati. In previous years, this is a team that has been looking for a complementary receiver for A.J. Green, and if Jones can prove this wasn’t a one-week fluke against a rookie cornerback, the Bengals have a lot to build on.

More: More on the Jets at Gang Green Nation Read about the Bengals at Cincy Jungle

Jets head coach Rex Ryan leaves Cincinnati with one of the most consistently inconsistent teams in the NFL. Part of this is taking his lumps with a rookie quarterback, as Geno Smith was pulled in the fourth quarter due to his poor play. The larger issue for New York is its struggling defense paired with an inability to run the football. These are the core tenets of how this team is built, and both are letting the Jets down.