Two weeks into the 2023 NFL regular season, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals appear to be in some trouble.
The team that many felt had a real shot at winning its first-ever Super Bowl somehow finds itself with a 0-2 record, and while it may not be time to panic, it is definitely time to be concerned.
Burrow has been one of the game’s two or three best quarterbacks over the last couple of seasons. However, he is off to a poor start this year, as he has completed just 56.9 percent of his pass attempts and has a passer rating of 70.6.
As CBS Sports’ Doug Clawson points out, he has attempted 12 passes of at least 15 yards this season, and he hasn’t connected on any of them. In fact, he is the only quarterback this season who has started two games but hasn’t completed one pass of at least 15 air yards.
Perhaps at least one reason Burrow is struggling in that regard is the fact that he has dealt with a strained calf ever since early in training camp.
Even though some, including star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, were pleading with him to sit out until the ailment fully healed in order to prevent aggravating it or suffering a more serious injury as a result, he made himself ready and available for Week 1. But he went just 14 of 31 for a scant 82 yards in Cincinnati’s abysmal 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Sure enough, in Week 2’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Joe Burrow did aggravate his calf injury, and now his status for Week 3 is in serious doubt.
If there is a silver lining for Cincinnati, it’s the fact that its next three games will be against beatable squads — the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.
One way or another, it needs to win two or three of those contests, because after having a bye in Week 7, it will face the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and the Ravens again in three of its next four games.
