BURROW IS FIGHTING BACK
After his grade three turf toe injury and the subsequent surgery, Burrow has been working nonstop to return to the field. Reports are that his rehabilitation is going well. There is optimism that if that trend continues, he could even be back by Thanksgiving.
Bengals fans were understandably elated at this news a few weeks ago. Two ugly losses to the Jets and Bears cratered much of that excitement almost immediately. As things stand now, it appears as though their defense couldn’t stop a sloth, no matter how many yards the ageless wonder Joe Flacco puts up.
The team is 3-6 coming off the bye week. The front office made no significant roster changes. Zac Taylor and Al Golden are still at the helm, for better or worse. The sound bites coming from their pressers all claim this roster (even with its many flaws) can compete in 2025. It’s a song and dance that nearly all Bengals fans have come to know well.
But Joe Burrow being on the field makes those doubts just a tiny bit quieter.
IF BURROW CAN MAKE IT BACK BY THANKSGIVING WHAT STATE MIGHT THE TEAM BE IN?
As soon as temperatures cooled after the loss to the Jets, one question naturally came to mind. Even if Joe Burrow is healthy enough to play, with the current state of the Bengals, should he? Even if he played like the Joe Cool of old, could the defense even keep the games within reach?
Then there is the risk of re-injury. We’ve already seen the better parts of three seasons of Burrow’s young career already lost due to various ailments. The additional strain that playing in meaningless games could put on his already taxed body simply might not be worth it.
But from what we learned today, Joe Burrow is very likely going to be back on the field in 2025, perhaps sooner than we all expected. It shouldn’t come as a surprise given what kind of competitor he is. He very likely doesn’t care whether the Bengals are in the playoff hunt or not by that point.
And the reality is that even with how bleak things appear now, the Bengals still have a theoretical chance to be competitive in the AFC North. They are 2-0 in the division with four divisional games left. Additionally, Cincinnati is a mere two games back of the Steelers, who come in at 5-4.
Unfortunately for Burrow and the team, the upcoming stretch of the Bengals’ next four games is an absolute gauntlet. Those matchups will likely decide whether the window for any kind of successful season remains open. They will tee it up against the Steelers, Patriots, Ravens, and Bills. Three of those games are on the road, making the task all that much harder.
CAN THE BENGALS DEFENSE KEEP THE TEAM IN THE HUNT?
With the anticipation of Joe Burrow’s impending rerun, the mission for this defense is clear. They must do anything and everything they can to keep Cincinnati as close to the playoff and division hunt as humanly possible. The great fear is that they’ve shown absolutely no signs of being able to do that.
While Joe Flacco is not Joe Burrow, he is putting up numbers that make the distinction harder to recognize. And just like Burrow, Flacco has seen that no lead is safe when put in the hands of Al Golden defense. It’s hard to imagine how much better we’d all feel about Burrow’s return if only the team hadn’t given up forty plus points against the Bears and Jets.
That hasn’t been the case but there is always a chance for a few silver linings. Perhaps the veteran Trey Hendrickson returns for the pre-Thanksgiving run and has a positive impact. If that impact gives some more one on one matchups for rookie Shemar Stewart, maybe he can begin to put his physical talents to use putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Maybe Geno Stone and BJ Hill show some leadership and the tackling improves the slightest bit.
The defense has so many leaks to fix that if they are able to improve only a few of them, it might be enough for a star like Joe Burrow. Maybe it’s a pipe dream but the acceleration of the timetable for his return can help but breed some small optimism
