CINCINNATI – For the third consecutive season, the Cincinnati Bengals will not qualify for the playoffs, leading quarterback Joe Burrow to once again express the obvious.
Burrow added that the changes could involve improvements in the performance of current players, the incorporation of new talents, or any other strategy that the team considers necessary. This is the second time in recent weeks that Burrow has advocated for a different approach.We don’t want to be in the situation we’re in now, so something has to change.
Joe Burrow
Although Burrow did not specify the changes needed, his comments on Wednesday offer greater clarity on the team’s possible actions. Burrow, in his sixth season and a two-time MVP finalist, missed nine games this season due to a toe injury that required surgery. Since his return on November 27, the team has won three of its five starts. A win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday would give Cincinnati (6-10) a three-game winning streak to close out the season. Bengals coach Zac Taylor has been under scrutiny from fans, but Burrow has backed the coach despite their desire for change. Taylor commented on Wednesday that he didn’t feel the need to prove to the management that the team is close to being a contender again.What we’ve been doing hasn’t worked in recent years. We need to think outside the box and be creative about where we go from here.
Joe Burrow
The end-of-season atmosphere is very different from what it was at the beginning of Burrow’s career. In 2021, the year after Burrow was selected number 1, Cincinnati reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015 and made it to the Super Bowl, the franchise’s best performance in 33 years. The following season, the Bengals returned to the AFC Championship, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. During that period, Burrow confidently proclaimed that his championship window would last his entire career. On Wednesday, Burrow was asked about that statement.I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone. We’re all in this together, so I don’t think there’s any need to prove anything to anyone.
Zac Taylor
This relates to another topic that Burrow has emphasized this season: happiness. When asked about a goal for the new year, Burrow said it was “to be happy”. And for him, that comes with being in the field. As the results have changed, Burrow said he is having fun.This year, I’ve played so many games and we’ve won more than we’ve lost. And I feel good about that. All I can do is go out there and, when I’m on the field, try to play well, try to win and go from there.
Joe Burrow
That’s life in the NFL. That’s the life of playing sports. That’s why you play it. At first, you feel emotions that you don’t feel in other parts of your life. Ups and downs, all of the above, everything in between.I think I have fun playing football. It’s certainly difficult when you can’t. And, you know, I had fun last year too. Certainly frustrating at times.
Joe Burrow
