New England Patriots - NESN.com
Dan Orlovsky has seen enough.
On Wednesday, Joe Burrow shocked the football world by being a full participant in the Bengals’ first Week 12 practice. Hours later, during ESPN’s “NFL Live“, quarterback-turned-analyst Dan Orlovsky confidently predicted that Burrow would make his long-awaited return Sunday against the Patriots.
“He’s gonna start,” Orlovsky said. “There’s no way that he’s practicing today if he’s not gonna start on Sunday. … Is it smart? I’m always of the vein, if the medical staff says he’s good to go, and the player says, ‘I feel good’ — he’s a competitor, he’s gonna go play.”
Burrow, one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, hasn’t played since suffering a turf-toe injury on Sept. 14. He returned to practice last week as a limited participant, and multiple reports indicated he could return after a three-to-four-week ramp-up. However, Wednesday’s news suggests the 28-year-old could start after just two weeks of practice.
Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor didn’t tip his hand Wednesday while appearing on WLW-FM, saying “I’m not there yet” when asked to reveal Burrow’s Week 12 status. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport followed up by reporting Burrow hasn’t been ruled out for Sunday’s home game against New England.
Even if Burrow plays, he’ll be working with a receiving corps missing superstar Ja’Marr Chase, who’ll miss the contest due to a suspension for spitting on Jalen Ramsey last week. Tee Higgins, a star wideout in his own right, will assume top pass-catcher duties.
The Patriots and Bengals will kick off from Paycor Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
