The Cincinnati Bengals have failed Joe Burrow at almost unprecedented levels this season. Despite an MVP-caliber campaign from the signal-caller thus far, the Bengals have fallen to 1-4 and may be out of the playoffs again.
Burrow was drafted this year, completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 1,370 yards with 12 touchdowns and two picks. The LSU alum leads the NFL in passing touchdowns through Week 5, and he’s just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for 12 scores and complete 70 percent of his passes with a losing record in five games.
Additionally, Burrow became just the 20th quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game and lose in Cincinnati’s 41-38 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Terrier weighed on reason for this injustice, via Ben Baby of ESPN.
“We’re not a championship-level team right now. We’re not,” the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder said. “I’d like to think we’ll come back and improve throughout the season to get to that point. But for now, that’s not the case. And we have to improve.
Burrow later confirmed that the Bengals’ record was frustrating given preseason expectationsvia Baby.
“I know exactly how 1-4 we are,” he continued. “We don’t make plays at the end of the game to win it. Certainly not incredulous. I know exactly what’s going on.
Burrow was nice, but the real reason is defense. The 145 points allowed to Cincinnati are the second-most points so far, showing that defense still matters in today’s offensive game.
Star Ja’Marr Chase echoed Chase’s sentiments.
“I think that’s what makes us angry, for the most part,” the LSU alum said. “I just scored 30 points and lost right away.
“That’s what we want to do as an offense: score 30 points and take control of the game. Get the ball in our hands on the last drive and take over. This is what we want and we haven’t done it.
Fortunately, the Bengals face the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 6, who hardly have an imposing offense. Next are the Cleveland Browns, who are also challenged on that side of the ball.
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With just a little help from the defense, Burrow is hot enough to guide the team to victory, which would improve his MVP chances. Aside from the opener against the New England Patriots, where Cincinnati scored just 10 points, the 27-year-old performed at a high level.
Burrow is second in the league in completion percentage although he is ninth in attempts, rarely missing his shot despite constant coverage. With this type of precision, anything is possible in the NFL.
Another thing that would help the Bengals is a running game, which was bound to suffer with the departure of Joe Mixon. Cincinnati ranks just 27th with 480 rushing yards, although that is partly due to abandoning the running game when down.
At this point, though, the only thing the Bengals have going for them, besides their passing game, is their schedule. They won’t face another winning team until they face the Ravens on Thursday Night Football in Week 10. They face the 2-2 Philadelphia Eagles at home in Week 8, but Jalen Hurts and company are vulnerable.
If Burrow wasn’t a top-level quarterback, continuing at this level of play would be too much to ask. Luckily for Cincinnati, the former NCAA national champion is up to the task.
