Head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Zac Taylor, declared on November 17 that starting quarterback Joe Burrow would miss the entire season due to a sprained wrist he sustained in the team’s Week 11 TNF game against the Baltimore Ravens. The team is severely hampered by the loss of Burrow, who was vital to them.
The Bengals’ chances of making the 2023 playoffs, which already appeared bleak before Burrow’s most recent injury, may be severely damaged by this news, given that they currently have a 5-5 record. Here’s why the Bengals’ 2023 campaign is doomed due to Burrow’s wrist ligament tear that ended the season.
The Bengals began the season slowly, even with Burrow, opening the season 1-3 after suffering significant losses to the Cleveland Browns and Ravens, as well as an embarrassing 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans, who have since won just one game. They lost their last two games to the Houston Texans and the Ravens, dropping them to a very difficult 0-3 division record. Nevertheless, they found their rhythm again with four straight victories before those games.
Losing your first three games is never good news in the NFL because the division record is one of the most important tiebreakers. The Bengals were viewed by many as one of the top Super Bowl favorites heading into the 2023 season, and they had high expectations. Before the season began, there were worries after Burrow injured his calf during practice.
With a cumulative 6-5-1 record through the first four games of their 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, a sluggish start has turned into a recent trend. Despite starting 1-3 this season, there was a feeling of “don’t panic” because the Bengals started 0-2 in 2022 and advanced to the AFC Championship game.
Even with Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon among the elite talent at the skill positions, it’s difficult to envision backup Jake Browning having a season similar to that of Nick Foles given Burrow’s current injury.
