By Week 4 of the NFL season, most had written off Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a typical overreaction, no different from any other across sports. But what else was to be expected after a 1-3 start?
It had been a tumultuous start to the season for Cincinnati's star quarterback and the Bengals as a whole. Two of those losses were marked by a paltry six combined points on the scoreboard. Burrow's passing game seemed to have lost its luster, with a completion percentage below 60% and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2:2. The man who once led the Bengals to the Super Bowl was nowhere to be found.
Burrow's struggles in the early season can be traced back to a strained calf injury he sustained during just his second day of training camp back on July 27. At the time, the injury may not have appeared severe, but, as we would come to realize, it was a significant setback. Burrow's absence from valuable preseason reps with his offense would prove detrimental as the season commenced.
The 49ers game was perfect for Joe Burrow and Bengals
For many, the Bengals appeared to be a team spiraling out of control, far from the competitive force that had once beaten Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium to reach the Super Bowl just two years earlier. Yet, a familiar face returned on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, a face that Bengals faithful have come to know and love.
If there was going to be any game that could serve as a perfect revival for Burrow, it was going to be the 49ers game. If not, then perhaps it was going to be a rough outing for the rest of the season. But going up against one of the tougher defenses in the league was going to be more than challenging, especially since the Bengals' offensive line was averaging giving up 2.3 sacks per game. Burrow was going to have to be elusive and shifty, evading the Niners' defensive front. And sure enough, that's what he was.
When we found out Joe Burrow was back
SI's Albert Breer broke down a specific play on Sunday in the third quarter where Burrow essentially found his power-up and reminded everyone that he was back.
There was a play at the beginning of the second half of Sunday’s Bengals-49ers showdown that, for the rest of us, would probably be way down the list of Cincinnati highlights from what became a revival afternoon for the AFC juggernaut. It was a run-of-the-mill second-and-9 from the San Francisco 40, the third play of the third quarter, with the visitors to Santa Clara clinging to a 14–10 lead.
Joe Burrow took the snap and, almost immediately, a bullrush from his old college buddy, Nick Bosa, had left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. backing into the quarterback’s lap. Burrow saw it coming and quickly flashed to Brown’s left, getting Bosa to disengage that way. He then exploded back inside Brown, eventually cutting the run all the way back across the grain, then darting down through the belly of a loaded defense for the first down. And then some.
By the time three Niners converged on him at the 40, Burrow had 20 yards. As he popped back to his feet, he grabbed his facemask and slapped his helmet twice.
Burrow's words after the game at Levi's Stadium resonated with a sense of achievement and determination, which had seemed missing earlier in the season: “I felt good today. I felt really good today. And that was really because all offseason I’ve worked on my athleticism and my running ability a lot. Just hasn't been something that I've been able to showcase. So it's nice seeing hard work pay off.”
The Bengals are back in the AFC mix
The Bengals' win against the Niners was their third in a row, putting them back in the mix in the AFC North race, where now they, the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, are all 4-3, behind the 6-2 division-leading Baltimore Ravens.
As the AFC landscape evolves, the NFL should indeed be very afraid of Joe Burrow and the Bengals. The revival in Santa Clara was not just a win on the scoreboard; it was a statement that the Bengals are back in contention, and Burrow is back to being the dynamic quarterback who can lead them to being one of the elite teams in the AFC. The road ahead looks promising for Cincinnati, and opponents should be on high alert.
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