Andy Dalton might get the cast off his broken thumb next week

The Cincinnati Bengals' loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday night hurt a little more than most losses, because the Bengals likely lost a bye, which would have given quarterback Andy Dalton an extra week to get healthy.

As far as Dalton goes, his broken thumb has been progressing. The Cincinnati Enquirer said he believes his cast will be removed on Monday. The Enquirer wrote Dalton hasn't ruled out playing on wild-card weekend, if the Bengals don't end up with a first-round bye, but more will be known when the cast is off. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport painted a more pessimistic picture, saying Dalton was "still weeks away" from a return.

Considering Dalton was one of the NFL's top five MVP candidates when he got hurt and the Bengals have more than enough talent to make a Super Bowl, all the Bengals can do is hope his return happens soon.

“I’m thinking as soon as I can get back, I’ll be back,” Dalton said, according to the Enquirer. “Whatever week that is, whatever time that is. I’m hoping it’s sooner than later. I’ll find out more on Monday.”

Because Dalton has had bouts of inconsistency and he hasn't led a playoff win, we don't consider him in the same level as some of the elite quarterbacks, but his play has been as good as any quarterback this season. He had 3,250 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 106.2 rating before he broke his thumb making a tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14.

AJ McCarron has had some nice moments replacing Dalton, but the Bengals are clearly not the same team without Dalton. And Cincinnati had a great chance to get its first playoff win since Jan. 6, 1991 this season, but that will be much tougher without Dalton. The Bengals can still get a first-round bye, but they would need to beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and have the San Diego Chargers upset the Broncos. That wouldn't insure Dalton's return for Cincinnati's first playoff game, but it wouldn't hurt either. Otherwise, Dalton will get his cast off Monday and the Bengals will have to figure out if he can play in their playoff opener five or six days later, even if that seems unlikely. For a team that has gone one-and-done in the playoffs four straight years, it will be impatiently awaiting more news on its starting quarterback and his availability for the playoffs.