Cincy Jungle
After practicing in full on Wednesday and Thursday, Joe Burrow will not be activated off injured reserve and will miss Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.
Tee Higgins and other players were giddy about the sight of Burrow practicing this week. However, Zac Taylor’s response is not activating Burrow off injured reserve and starting Joe Flacco.
Does Taylor know this team, at 3-7, doesn’t have the luxury of time on their side? Not to mention, Flacco is dealing with a sprained AC joint, going back four weeks ago.
In addition, the Bengals are facing the hottest team in the NFL, arguably, the New England Patriots. Starting Burrow would have been the spark the Bengals needed, considering Ja’Marr Chase is suspended for this game.
Then again, is it really worth starting Burrow just to try to save Taylor’s job?
With that, let’s take a look at the Patriots, quarterback Drake Maye, four other players to watch, keys to the game, and a score prediction for Sunday.
Leading up to the start of the 2024 NFL Season, I was a believer in Drake Maye. Watching his North Carolina film, I thought he looked like an NFL quarterback.
Robert Kraft certainly believed in him, surrounding him with incredible infrastructure for his Sophomore season, including head coach Mike Vrabel, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and a strong free-agent and draft class.
Maye has taken full advantage of what the Patriots have given him. He leads the NFL with a 71.9 completion percentage and 2,836 passing yards, throwing for 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Through 11 games, Maye has 250+ passing yards in eight of them and has not thrown for fewer than 200 yards in any of the Patriots’ 11 games this season. Maye also has multiple touchdowns in eight games this season.
The numbers Maye has put up so far in his second season remind me so much of Joe Burrow’s performance in his second season, leading the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in 2021. Like Maye, Burrow led the NFL in completion percentage in 2021 and had 11 games with 250+ passing yards and 11 games with two+ touchdown passes.
Drake Maye has established himself as an up-and-coming quarterback who is an MVP front-runner and a very easy player to root for, even if you’re not a Patriots fan.
Four Players to Watch on the Patriots
1. No. 32: Running Back, TreVeyon Henderson — 5-10, 202 lbs. Rookie; Ohio State
Henderson may have gotten off to a slow start in his rookie season, but he’s been coming on strong in his last four games with 339 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. The Patriots have found something with Henderson, and their offense is more versatile as a result. In addition, Henderson will be utilized as a pass-catcher with 26 receptions, 165 yards, and a touchdown so far this season.
**2. No. 85: Tight End, Hunter Henry —...
