The Cincinnati Bengals lost another game in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans and dropped to 1-2 on the season. Quarterback Joe Burrow, still dealing with a calf injury, was terrible and a big (if not the main) reason the team lost. Still, as the Bengals pivot to Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals backup quarterback Jake Browning will not get the nod, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

“Zac Taylor says Joe Burrow will start Week 5 for the Bengals in Arizona,” NFL Network host Andrew Siciliano reported Monday.

And with that, there is still no quarterback controversy in Cincinnati despite Burrow’s poor play through nearly a quarter of the season.

Burrow is clearly struggling with his calf injury and has almost no mobility in the pocket. The velocity and accuracy of his throws are also suffering, and his chemistry with his pass-catchers is virtually non-existent after the QB missed the entire preseason.

In the Bengals 27-3 Week 4 loss to the Titans, Burrow was a dreadful 20-of-30 for just 165 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions, and three sacks.

There is no doubt that Burrow is the team’s franchise QB, and there is some honor in Zac Taylor sticking with him even during this tough time. However, there is little chance Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning would be any worse, and maybe a fully healthy signal-caller — even a less talented one — would give the Bengals a better chance to win in Week 5 vs the Cardinals.

No matter who the QB is, the Bengals better find a way to start winning games soon. The 2023 NFL season is still young, but 1-3 teams have just a 15% chance of making the postseason, based on historical data. If the Bengals drop to 1-4, that number goes down to just 5%, and no 1-5 or even 2-6 team has ever made the NFL playoffs.Bengals news: Joe Burrow's status as Week 5 starter gets update from Zac Taylor amid injury