It was a little over three years ago when Joe Burrow threw a game-winning touchdown pass that clinched the Bengals’ third straight win over the Chiefs. It was a much different experience on Sunday as Cincinnati was blanked, 24-0, by the Ravens in a loss that clinched a third straight non-playoff season for Burrow and Co.
Despite the loss and his recent comments that led to questions about his future in Cincinnati, Burrow stated that he “has a lot of confidence” with the Bengals’ front office.
“I know how hard people work at it, and we have the right people,” Burrow said via a team transcript. “It starts with players playing better, and today it was me.”
Burrow was asked point-blank if he still enjoys playing for the Bengals, which was in reference to his comments leading up to Sunday’s game.
“My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati,” he said. “They had everything to do with me and my mindset, and football.”
Burrow’s comments about having confidence in the Bengals will likely be met with skepticism given the fact that Cincinnati is in the midst of a third straight season that has fallen well short of expectation.
Since reaching a second consecutive AFC title game in 2022, the Bengals are just 22-26 that includes a 5-11 record in games that Burrow didn’t start. Cincinnati started 2-0 this season before winning just one of its nine games while Burrow was sidelined with turf toe. At 4-10, the Bengals have been assured of their worst season since 2020, Burrow’s rookie season.
Underwhelming drafts, questionable roster decisions, tumultuous contract situations with key players, injuries to Burrow and other star players, and an historically bad defense have all played some level of role in Cincinnati going from being one the NFL’s best teams to one of its worst in three short years.
Like the Bengals, Burrow also continues to have a high level of confidence in his own ability following what he acknowledged was one of the worst games of his career. He dismissed a question about whether or not his game has fallen off at all over the last few years.
“No, I feel very confident in how I play,” he said. “Obviously today, in my opinion, is an outlier. I think I’ve been consistently great for years and years and years.”
Burrow is right. While his past few games haven’t been at his usual level, the former Heisman Trophy winner has proven to be one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Last year, for example, he led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdown passes en route to winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year for a second time.
Injuries, however, have largely hindered Burrow during his first six seasons. Cincinnati’s struggles in terms of building a competitive roster around him over the last few years hasn’t helped, either.
In many ways, Sunday’s game was a microcosm of Burrow and the Bengals’ season. While Burrow was off, he received no help from his receiving corps, who dropped a handful of catchable passes. Ja’Marr Chase, specifically, was the culprit of a few drops that contributed to the Bengals staying off the scoreboard despite having four drives that got inside Baltimore’s 35-yard-line.
Burrow was also hounded all day by a Ravens pass rush that entered the game with just 18 sacks. Pressure largely contributed to Burrow’s second interception: a pick-six that made it a 24-0 game.
Ironically, the Bengals actually received a solid game from their defense that included notable efforts from 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy, third-year defensive back Jordan Battle and rookie Demetrius Knight Jr.
The Bengals’ offense, however, was unable to capitalize on the defense’s performance. The reason is quite simple, at least from Burrow’s perspective.
“Because we haven’t been a good football team,” he said. “Bad football teams do losing things. If you’re wanting to compete for championships and be in the playoffs, then number one, your quarterback needs to play better than I did today.”
Burrow was asked if he carries too much of a burden on a team that didn’t have much success before him and has struggled to maintain its early success with him under center.
“I want everything on my plate,” he said. “That’s the position I want to be in. I feel confident in all those guys in the locker room. Like I said, there’s not a team in the NFL that would’ve won the game today if I was the quarterback.”
While Burrow reaffirmed his allegiance to Cincinnati, it’s clear — based on how the last three seasons have gone — that the Bengals need to make changes moving forward if they are going to take advantage of Burrow’s remaining years under contract.
Burrow also made it clear that he expects more out of himself regardless of the situation he and the Bengals find themselves in.
“This is a team effort at the end of the day,” he said. “Players have to play better on the field. Today, it was me. I have to be better.”
