CINCINNATI (AP) — Andy Dalton is out for the rest of the season with an injured thumb on his passing hand http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-joe-mixon-jersey , another significant blow to a Bengals team that has fallen apart in the past month.Dalton reached for a fumbled ball and had someone land on his right hand during a 35-20 rout by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Cincinnati’s fifth loss in its past six games.Just like that, a season that started with so much promise has turned into a nosedive .Cincinnati (5-6) is without its quarterback or much hope that things will get much better down the stretch. The Bengals put Dalton on injured reserve after he had more tests and medical opinions Monday about the best way to get the thumb healed.Coach Marvin Lewis said Dalton’s thumb is expected to be healed before the start of offseason workouts.It’s the same thumb that Dalton broke while making a tackle on an interception return against the Steelers in 2015. He missed the last three regular-season games and an 18-16 loss to the Steelers in a first-round playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium.Jeff Driskel will start for the Bengals the rest of the way, getting his first chance to lead the team in his third NFL season. The Bengals claimed quarterback Tom Savage off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers as a backup on Monday.“The more you get out there and the more you play well, the more confidence you are going to get in yourself and the people around you,” Driskel said Monday.Dalton completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,566 yards with 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a passer rating of 89.6, the third-highest of his eight-year career.Even with Dalton, the Bengals weren’t doing much except losing.After a 4-1 start that boosted them atop the AFC North, the Bengals have lost five of six and fallen to third place. It’s their worst stretch since 2016, when they went 1-5-1 over the middle of the schedule and finished 6-9-1, ending their streak of five straight playoff appearances.After Dalton got hurt on Sunday, Driskel came in and threw his first career touchdown pass and ran for another as the Browns went conservative with a big lead. Cleveland threw the ball only four times in the second half and played softer on defense. Driskel was 17 of 29 for 155 yards.Coordinator Bill Lazor said Monday that Driskel has shown his ability to lead the offense in his limited opportunities.“I think guys see it, and that’s the important part,” Lazor said. “You can’t talk them into feeling good about somebody; they’ve got to earn it. And he’s earned it every day in practice and in the preseason games.”With Driskel running the offense, the Bengals had five false-start penalties — each by a different player — and one more for an illegal shift in the fourth quarter. Driskel thinks that working with the starting offense in practice this week will fix the problems.“The more time you are able to get in and out of the huddle with those guys, hear the cadence, say the cadence Jessie Bates III Jersey White , it’s just beneficial,” he said. “I don’t think it helps coming off the bench.”With five games left and Dalton hurt, the Bengals are facing a big challenge.“They’ve got to do it,” Lewis said. “They’ve got to dig out.”INJURY UPDATECornerback Tony McRae suffered a concussion in the third quarter. The medical staff strapped him to a backboard and wheeled him off the field, concerned he might have a spinal injury. Lewis said Monday that McRae had a concussion but no spinal injury.HUE’S GAME BALLLewis didn’t have anything to say about Browns safety Damarious Randall handing the ball to Hue Jackson after he intercepted one of Dalton’s passes on Sunday.“I don’t want to comment on somebody else’s player,” Lewis said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marvin Lewis flipped on tape of the Kansas City Chiefs this week and saw Tyreek Hill moving all over the field, Kareem Hunt bulldozing for first downs, Travis Kelce making acrobatic catches, and Patrick Mahomes delivering the ball to all of them.Then he was asked what worries him most about facing the Chiefs on Sunday night.“Everything,” Lewis said, adding a halfhearted laugh.Yes, the banged-up Bengals (4-2) and their struggling defense are headed to Arrowhead Stadium for a high-profile showdown against quite possibly the most dynamic offense in the NFL.They are also doing it with a handful of guys ailing or injured, notably in a secondary that will have to find a way to slow Hill and Kelce. All those injuries nearly crippled the Bengals last week, when Pittsburgh drove the length of the field in the fourth quarter for the winning touchdown.“It makes it harder, yeah,” Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap said, “but we have 1A and 1B. Everybody is trained to get in the game because you’re always one play away. You never know when it is.”Injuries aren’t an excuse, either.“”We’ve got guys down. I believe in those (backup) guys Womens Randy Bullock Jersey ,” Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. “I feel we’ve got all the tools, even the backup guys, to beat this team.”The Chiefs (5-1), who are coming off their first loss last Sunday night in New England, know all about being hurt. They remain without injured safeties Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen and Armani Watts, top pass rusher Justin Houston and two starters on the offensive line.They still have Mahomes, though. Not to mention all his weapons.That group struggled in the first half against the Patriots, but adjustments at halftime opened up things. Mahomes wound up throwing four TD passes, three to Hill, and the Chiefs nearly outscored Tom Brady and Co. in what became an entertaining shootout.“Everyone is still in great spirits,” Mahomes said after his first loss as a starting quarterback, which came seven games into his NFL career. “We know there’s a lot of season left. There’s going to be ups and downs, but you have to know that’s going to happen. It’s how you respond that matters.”Mahomes said the vibe all week has been positive, and that the loss to New England only served to embolden a team with Super Bowl aspirations. After all, the Chiefs trailed most of the way, on the road and in prime time, and nearly came back to steal a victory.“We finished hard. We fought every play,” Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins said. “You saw the grit on the sideline and we’re here to build on that. You’re not going to lead every game 28-0.”As the Bengals try to slow down Kansas City Jordan Evans Jersey , here are some things to know:BANGED-UP BENGALSThere were no fewer than 15 players listed on Cincinnati’s initial injury report this week, and six of those didn’t participate at all to start the week. That included three defensive players in cornerback Darqueze Dennard, linebacker Nick Vigil and safety Shawn Williams.FLEX AND POSEThe Chiefs’ high-flying offense and the Bengals’ strong start resulted in the game being flexed by NBC to Sunday night. It was originally supposed to be a noon CDT kickoff.“Every game is a big stage. This is the NFL,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said, dismissing the fact they’re in prime time for the second straight week. “You want to play every game like it’s your last.”ON THE HUNTThe Chiefs have leaned on Hunt late in games to protect leads, but he was a big part of their comeback a week ago. Hunt ran for 80 yards on just 10 carries and caught five passes for 105 yards and a score. He also was overthrown down the middle of the field on what could have been another long TD reception.“You can’t miss those when you play really good teams,” Mahomes said.BLITZBURGH HANGOVERThe Bengals’ 28-21 loss to Pittsburgh wiped out much of their early momentum and evened things in the AFC North. It was another stunning loss against their biggest nemesis — the Steelers have won seven straight in the series, including a comeback win in the 2015 playoffs. They know they can’t afford another bad showing in Kansas City as they approach the midway point of the season.“I would say we do have a chip on our shoulders,” defensive end Jordan Willis said.WHAT ABOUT BURFICTIn his second game back from his latest NFL suspension, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was on the field for 84 percent of the defense’s plays against Pittsburgh and finished second with eight tackles and two passes deflected. He also was in the middle of several altercations, trading words with Ben Roethlisberger, stepping over James Conner in the end zone, and hitting Antonio Brown in the head with his forearm after a reception.Burfict has been suspended three times by the league and was ejected from a game last season. The Bengals need him to continue making an impact on games, without the drama.“Vontaze can be as great as he wants to be,” Dunlap said.