Two numbers have haunted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton this week: 2.0 (as in his passer rating last Thursday versus the Browns) and 4.3 (as in his QBR versus the Browns).
As he tries to rebound from such a miserable prime-time performance, Dalton might want to cling to three other numbers: 10-3-1. That's his career record against the NFC, a mark that went up this year with a win over Atlanta and a tie with the Panthers. Of his 10 wins, some of the more impressive ones have come on the road. Dalton and the Bengals beat the Seahawks in Seattle by 22 his rookie year. The next season, in 2012, they beat Philadelphia by 21 on the road on a Thursday night. Count last year's win on a field goal at Detroit, too.
Perhaps Dalton will have another moment like those inside the Superdome against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
But given how poorly Dalton performed last week and how good the Saints have been at home -- 23-5 there the last four seasons -- it's improbable. The Bengals have had extra time to exorcise the demons from last week, but that loss was so gutting that they still won't have recovered. Cincinnati also is bringing its 31st-ranked rush defense into a game against the Saints' Mark Ingram, who has three straight 100-yard rushing games.
Saints 27, Bengals 19