As the Cincinnati Bengals limp to a likely losing season, it’s becoming painfully clear they are squandering a historic campaign from superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. The 26-year-old is putting up career numbers, on pace to throw for over 5,000 yards and nearly 50 touchdowns. And yet, the Bengals find new ways to lose winnable games each week.
According to sources close to the team, Burrow’s unprecedented production is being overshadowed by the organization’s failures in other areas. The defense, expected to be a strength, ranks near the bottom of the NFL. Free agent additions and high draft picks have flopped. A once-vaunted pass rush is virtually non-existent.
No Help for an All-Time Great Season
The issues extend beyond the defense. After making the Super Bowl just two seasons ago, the Bengals have regressed in nearly every facet around their star quarterback:
- The running game ranks 30th in success rate
- Burrow is getting hit at an alarming rate behind a patchwork O-line
- Reliable kicker Evan McPherson has missed several costly field goals
Amidst this team-wide dysfunction, Burrow continues to shine. His connection with dynamic receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins remains elite. But it hasn’t been enough to overcome the Bengals’ self-inflicted wounds.
Never has a quarterback played at such a high level, with such a heavy workload, while being let down by almost everyone around him.
Uncharted Territory for QB Excellence
What Burrow is doing is simply unprecedented:
- First QB to ever lose 3 games in a season when throwing for 300+ yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
- First to have back-to-back games with those gaudy stats
- Hit 37 times already in 2022, 12 more than any other QB
To put it in perspective, even all-time greats like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers only had two such statistical gems result in losses over their entire illustrious careers. Burrow has three…this season. And it’s not even December.
A Potential All-Timer Needs More
With Burrow just entering his prime, the Bengals are on the verge of wasting a potential gold jacket-caliber career. His ability to remain productive while constantly under siege is remarkable. One can only imagine his ceiling with even average support.
If the MVP award is truly about ‘value’, it’s hard to think of someone who has brought more to their unit than Burrow.
Instead, the Bengals are on track to fumble away a season for the ages from their franchise savior. From the early career beatings behind a poor O-line, to failing to sign Burrow’s top weapons long-term, to a premature defensive rebuild, Cincinnati is checking all the boxes for organizational negligence.
As Burrow’s third pro season slips away, Bengals fans can only hope the front office makes drastic changes in the offseason to better support their generational quarterback talent. Plenty of teams have bungled all-time QB careers, but Cincinnati seems determined to earn a spot on that notorious Mount Rushmore. For Burrow’s sake, and for their own, the Bengals must reverse course before it’s too late. An all-timer in his prime deserves so much more.
