Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton not willing to credit softball boo birds for improved play

Published Oct. 21, 2015 1:08 a.m. ET

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Remember back in July when Andy Dalton heard it from his hometown "fans" during MLB's celebrity softball game?

While Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson thinks the unfriendly welcome fueled Dalton's fire to step up his game this season, Dalton downplayed any impact of the boo birds in an interview with Pro Football Talk. Dalton did say, however, that he has felt a boost in support from the city since the incident, and that certainly hasn't hurt his performance on the field.

"I mean I wouldn’t say that that’s the reason why I’ve decided I’m gonna play better on this team ... I wouldn’t say any of that. Obviously, you never want anything like that to happen, especially when you’re in your home city. But I think the boos, it wasn’t everybody. There were some people that did it and, obviously, that made the headline. But ever since then, I’ve received so much support from everybody in this city. I mean to say that pushed me. Yeah, you never want that to happen but that’s not the sole reason why we’ve had success so far."

-- Andy Dalton

Dalton has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league through six weeks, putting up 14 touchdown passes against just two interceptions as the Bengals enter their bye week at 6-0. Regardless of what has led him to perform better on the field, Cincinnati fans are surely on his side now and hoping he can get the team over the playoff hump in his fifth season.

Scroll ahead to the 4:05 mark for Dalton's thoughts on the boos.