The 2023 season has gotten off to a disastrous start for the Cincinnati Bengals. They are 1-3 out of the gate, looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL. There is too much talent on this team to be playing as poorly as they are, but the ineffectiveness of their offense has put them behind the eight-ball.
The biggest reason for their struggles on that side of the ball has been the play of quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals made Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history before the regular season, which he has earned with his level of play.
He helped turn around the downtrodden franchise, leading them to AFC Championship Game appearances in two straight seasons. But, he hasn’t gotten close to that level of play thus far this season and looks like a shell of himself.
The calf injury that he suffered at the beginning of training camp is certainly playing a part. He has re-aggravated it during the regular season and doesn’t look comfortable on the field. That has torpedoed the Bengals’ offensive production.
Cincinnati currently is second to last in points scored and last in yardage gained. Burrow is having the worst season of his career, completing only 57.6 percent of his passes for 728 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Both of those touchdowns came in a Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, as Burrow has failed to throw for one in the other three games.
That has led to Nick Wright making a bold statement about Burrow. He believes that the Bengals should bench him, making his proclamation during an episode of First Things First on FS1 this week.
“Of course! He’s been the worst QB in the league. … You are getting none of the benefit and all of the risk. You have to sit him and hope you win,” Wright said.
Wright made sure to clarify that he doesn’t believe Burrow is a bad quarterback, but the numbers this season say otherwise. The calf injury has impacted his performance on the field, especially when looking deep as he has completed only 2-of-21 attempts 15+ yards downfield.
With no threat of getting beaten deep, opposing defenses are able to press up, bringing extra pressure and turning the explosive Bengals into a dink-and-dunk team. That isn’t their strength and it has led to them being stifled.
At this point, things can’t get worse for Cincinnati on offense, so they might as well see what Jake Browning can do. Burrow isn’t currently helping them win games, as his performance is doing the opposite. Sitting him until he can get healthy is the best course of action for the Bengals if they have any hopes of turning this season around.
