The Cincinnati Bengals, led by Joe Burrow, had a disappointing start to the 2024 season, losing 16-10 to the New England Patriots at home. This was Burrow’s first game since recovering from a season-ending wrist injury that he suffered last year in November. Burrow underperformed with only 164 passing yards, while the Patriots held the advantage with 290 total yards compared to the Bengals’ 224. In light of this setback, many are wondering if it is time to be concerned about the Bengals’ performance moving forward.
James Jones, the co-host of “The Facility”, argued that Burrow has been consistently underperforming over the past two years and has been getting a pass in comparison to criticisms that other premier quarterbacks face. He pointed out that despite their Super Bowl appearance, Burrow’s performance has been average without elite wide receivers. He criticized the prevailing notion that Burrow is the second best quarterback in football, and stressed that he needs to improve.
Before his wrist injury last season, Burrow recorded 2,309 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 91.0 passer rating, completing 66.8% of his passes in 10 games. In 2021, Burrow’s performance helped the Bengals reach the Super Bowl, where they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. However, they lost in the AFC title game in the following year (2022). Both seasons saw Burrow accumulate over 4,400 passing yards and 34-plus passing touchdowns.
Burrow has been fortunate enough to play with outstanding wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Despite an ongoing contract extension dispute, Chase, who has been a Pro Bowler in each of his three NFL seasons, played for the Bengals in Week 1. Higgins has also had considerable success, recording over 1,000 receiving yards in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Bengals, however, suffered a setback this past offseason when they lost veteran receiver Tyler Boyd to the Tennessee Titans.
In the regular season, the Bengals have had a 29-23-1 track record with Burrow as their main quarterback, and a 5-2 record in the postseason. The Bengals are scheduled to travel West to challenge the Chiefs, the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions, on Sunday.
To conclude, the Bengals had a rough start to the season, losing to the Patriots in their first game. Burrow’s performance has not matched the expectations set following their Super Bowl appearance, leading to criticism and concern from fans and pundits. The coming games will reveal whether Burrow and the Bengals have the capacity to elevate their game and challenge the dominant teams in the league.
