Dalton suffered a fractured thumb in his team's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and is unlikely to play again this season, according to ESPN's Dr. Mark Adickes. That forces AJ McCarron into the starting lineup. McCarron came in against the Steelers and struggled. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 280 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
To be fair to him, it was McCarron's first extended action in a regular-season game. He was thrust into the spotlight without ideal preparation.
A week of practice should help him in his efforts to replace Dalton, but the reality is that McCarron isn't likely to be a good quarterback.