NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Andy Dalton had an opportunity to stake a stronger claim on the New Orleans’ starting quarterback job.
But the Saints offense stalled on the final two possessions against Cincinnati on Sunday, allowing the Bengals to take a late lead and hold on for a 30-26 victory over New Orleans that could clear the way for Jameis Winston’s return against Arizona on Thursday night.
Winston has not played in three games while recovering from back and ankle injuries, but he was in uniform against the Bengals for the first time in that stretch.
“He’s not 100 percent healthy, Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “We have a Thursday night game. Let’s get into study on that, see where he is at, and then we will go from there.”
Dalton’s record as a starter fell to 1-2 — same as Winston’s this season.
“I’m going to let D.A. (Allen) handle that whole situation,” Dalton said when asked if he expected to start at Arizona. “So, we’ll see how that goes.”
For most of Sunday’s game, Dalton was in position to beat the team for which he started from 2011 to 2019.
But with the Saints leading 26-24 and likely needing a few first downs to run out the clock after taking over with 3:41 left, he presided over their first three-and-out since their opening series of the game, getting hit as he threw a third-down pass.
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