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The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t lived up to their expectations so far this season, but they still have a chance to get hot and make the playoffs. The primary burden of that falls on star quarterback Joe Burrow, who has played some of the best football of his career this season.
Burrow has nearly dragged the Bengals to a handful of wins that they had no business getting this season. Cincinnati’s defense has been an absolute mess that has cost it over and over, and that group has become one of the worst units in the NFL.
Burrow’s stellar play has come despite recovering from wrist surgery that ended his 2023 season a year ago. At times this season, Burrow has been seen flexing and favoring that wrist, but it hasn’t hurt his play up to this point. Heading into a pivotal contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday with a possible cold-weather forecast, Burrow isn’t sure how his wrist is gonna respond, according to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“That’s a question that remains to be answered,” Burrow said. “I haven’t experienced a cold weather game with that yet. In the past when I’ve had injuries, cold weather does affect it, so we’ll find out. Maybe I’ll have a heater on the sideline or something. I haven’t really thought about that yet, but we’ll see.”
If Burrow’s wrist holds up, the Bengals will have a good chance to pick up a huge win over a division rival. If they come up short, the hole in the AFC standings is probably too big to overcome over the final month of the season.
Don’t be fooled by the Bengals’ 4-7 record. Joe Burrow is playing the best football of his career, and the wins and losses are the only thing keeping Burrow out of the MVP conversation this season.
In just 11 games, Burrow has eclipsed 3,000 yards and thrown 27 touchdowns to just four interceptions while leading one of the best offenses in the NFL. He has done all of that despite star wide receiver Tee Higgins missing five games due to various injuries. The Bengals also have been dealing with a very inconsistent running game, so Burrow has been carrying a heavy load for this team.
Many of Cincinnati’s losses have come down to its defense and special teams faltering in important moments. The defense collapsed in losses against the Commanders, Ravens (twice) and Eagles. Kicker Evan McPherson missed critical field goals in losses against the Ravens and Chargers.
Simply put, the Bengals would be lost without Burrow. It still has a chance to climb back into a crowded AFC playoff picture, but they likely have to win out in order to get there. That would include picking up wins over the Steelers twice and the Broncos. It will be no easy task, but this version of Burrow is capable of stealing any game.
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