AP

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton’s hot start to the 2015 season has been a big reason why Cincinnati is 4-0 and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson thinks some of the team’s fans deserve some credit for Dalton’s play.

When Dalton made an appearance at this summer’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Cincinnati for a celebrity softball game, there were boos heard from the local fans in attendance. Dalton shrugged them off, but offensive coordinator Hue Jackson told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he thinks the night was a “turning point” for Dalton.

“I’m not going to tell you it didn’t bother him,” Jackson said. “It did. When you have the success he has had — four seasons in the league, four times in the playoffs — getting booed in your own city, that has to hurt a bit. But he was able to hit one over the fence for a home run. And he flipped the bat. His message was sort of, ‘You might not like me now, but you’re going to love me later.'”

Jackson has been an unwavering supporter of Dalton’s and says he “couldn’t be happier how he has responded” after losing to the Colts in the playoffs last season. Whatever motivation came from the booing, it’s certainly helped that the Bengals have a full complement of healthy receivers for Dalton to throw the ball to and an offensive line that has helped keep him from being pressured regularly. The Seahawks will provide a stiff test for just how far the Bengals offense has come this weekend.