Andy Dalton -- who, like Smith, is in the last year of his contract -- is just good enough to get the Bengals on the edge of winning but doesn't seem able to take them any farther. And quarterback isn't the only position surrounded by question marks: Rookie cornerback Darqueze Dennard really has to do well, as Adam Jones and Terence Newman are getting up there in age and Leon Hall is coming off an Achilles tear. Defensive rock Geno Atkins, meanwhile, is dealing with his own recovery (from ACL surgery). I think Cincy is in line to top the disappointment of the past three years by missing out on the playoffs altogether.