Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals spent most of Sunday afternoon moving the football through the air at will against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they had almost no success on the ground.
Cincinnati rushed for just 23 yards on 15 carries in the 22-17 loss, averaging just 1.6 yards per carry. Chase Brown struggled to find running room, leaving Burrow to carry the offense. Burrow threw for 428 yards, but the lack of a running game hurt Cincinnati in the red zone and during game-deciding fourth-quarter drives.
Despite the struggles on the ground, Burrow was not concerned about the offense throwing the ball so often. The Bengals QB opened up about the team’s rushing game following Sunday’s loss.
“My response to that would be let’s throw more. … Because I know we’re great at it,” Burrow told reporters. “I know that’s what I do best. And we’re pass protecting really well right now. Obviously, we’d like to get more out of the run game. … There’ll be games where we run the heck out of the ball, and there’ll be games that we need to drop back 60 times and go make it happen.”
Burrow finished the night with 39 completions on 54 passes for 428 yards and one touchdown. The three-time Pro Bowler accounted for 25% of the team’s rushing yards, charting three carries for six yards and one rushing touchdown.
Joe Burrow’s Faith in Pass Protection
Burrow’s confidence comes from the offensive line’s strong pass protection. Amarius Mims had another impressive outing against Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker and has yet to allow a sack, hit, or hurry this season. Even in obvious passing situations, Burrow had a clean pocket for most of the game.
Still, relying almost entirely on the passing game might result in major hits to Cincinnati’s receiver depth, and that’s what happened on Sunday. Ja’Marr Chase left with a concussion in the second quarter, while Tee Higgins aggravated an adductor injury late in the fourth quarter after catching 11 passes for 157 yards.
If the Bengals continue dropping back 50 to 60 times without a reliable running game, defenses can focus more on Cincinnati’s receivers and limit the short passing game.
Cincinnati’s Depleted WR Room Doesn’t Help Burrow’s Case
The Bengals were already thin at wide receiver entering Week 4. Andrei Iosivas has been placed on injured reserve with a thumb ligament tear. Colbie Young was also ruled out for Sunday’s game with a knee injury. Then came Sunday.
Chase was knocked out of the game early in the second quarter with a concussion, finishing with just three catches for 27 yards. While Higgins put on a masterclass in his absence, the heavy workload led to an adductor injury. Burrow was left with newly acquired Mitchell Tinsley and Dohnte Meyers to finish the game.
