The Cincinnati Bengals spent four seasons hoping quarterback Andy Dalton could operate like the badass he has become during their 7-0 start to this season.
You want leadership backed by performance?
There was Dalton against Seattle in Week 5, moving up and down the sideline telling teammates the improbable truth, that the Bengals could win a game they'd trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter if they only played their game. There was Dalton at Pittsburgh last week, fleeing a chaotic pocket with purpose instead of panic before flipping the ball to Giovani Bernard for a 23-yard gain to sustain the winning fourth-quarter touchdown drive.