When Andy Dalton left the Bengals 20-33 loss to the Steelers after he injured his thumb making a tackle on an interception return, the Bengals feared that he would miss the remainder of the 2015 regular season. The Ravens might not have been able to beat the Bengals without Dalton, but they might have been able to do better.
Now he might play against the Ravens on Week 17. The Bengals have announced that Andy Dalton will not need surgery for his injured thumb. He will not play in next week's game against the San Francisco 49ers, but he will be week-to-week and he could possibly be ready to play for the Bengals in Week 17 game against the Ravens.
Dalton gave the Ravens a hard time in Week Three, throwing three touchdowns, including the game-winner. The game was already looking hard, as the Ravens were going to head into Paul Brown stadium without Joe Flacco. The last thing the Ravens need is to go up against Andy Dalton in Bengals Stadium in a game that could determine the Bengals postseason path. But the Ravens have had to deal with a lot circumstances that were less than ideal this season.