Cincinnati Bengals remain confident after puzzling back-to-back losses
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are not the same team they were a couple of weeks ago.
Following Week 7, they were riding high, fresh off a spectacular showing against division rival Baltimore. It was a game in which Cincy bludgeoned the Ravens' defense to the tune of 41 points, breaking a tie for the top spot in the AFC North.
But just two weeks later, the Bengals are buried at the bottom of the division, still recovering from the sting of two unforeseen losses: A 34-31 loss at the hands of the Zach Wilson-less Jets and a 41-16 home loss to a Browns squad that has been marred by the controversy stemming from Odell Beckham Jr.'s grievances.
In the loss to New York, Mike White looked like a starting-caliber signal-caller against Cincinnati's depleted defense, posting 405 yards through the air and completing a whopping 37 of 45 pass attempts, finding pay dirt three times.
It was New York's second win of the season.
The next week, the Bengals were pounded to an even worse degree.
Baker Mayfield unloaded a torrent of big throws into Cincy's secondary, heaving two touchdowns to complement 218 passing yards. Meanwhile, Nick Chubb was a problem all game, averaging 9.8 yards per tote as he collected 137 yards on 14 carries, plus a TD against the Bengals.
The back-to-back losses represent a stark contrast from Cincinnati's early appearances — and the numbers support that.
Sunday's loss marked the first time this season that Burrow failed to throw a TD pass in a game. He entered the game as the only QB to toss two or more TDs per game up to that point.
Burrow has also thrown three INTs the past two weeks and seven in the past five, registering an interception in five straight affairs.
Burrow joined Colin Cowherd on "The Herd" on Monday to give an update on where his mind is in the midst of Cincy's struggles and talk about his recent turnover streak.
"I can do a much better job of taking care of the ball," he said. "When I start doing that, and we start doing that as an offense, we've moved the ball against everybody."
Joe Burrow reflects on performance in loss vs. Browns, keys to success for Bengals in AFC playoff race I THE HERD
Meanwhile, Burrow's favorite target has experienced a similar slide in production.
His former LSU teammate, Ja'Marr Chase, has been held to fewer than 50 receiving yards in each of the past two weeks after setting a historic pace to open the season. Chase pulled in just three receptions for 32 yards in Week 8 and six receptions for 49 yards in Week 9.
The squad also surrendered eight sacks in its previous two outings after relinquishing seven in five games from Week 3 to Week 7 (4-1 record). Burrow was sacked three times against New York and five times against Cleveland.
The same theme holds for the team's defense. The Bengals held each of their first seven opponents to 25 points or fewer. They've given up 37.5 PPG to the past two.
After holding the top seed in the AFC just a few weeks back, the Bengals have tumbled to the 10th spot in the conference.
"Obviously, right after the game, you're feeling pretty crappy," Burrow said. "Then you watch the film, and it's never as bad as it looks, and it's never as good as you thought it was coming off of the field. It's something I'm going through and learning. In college, you lose a game, and it's the end of the world. You're out of the playoff conversation.
"In the NFL, you really have to stay even-keeled. You lose a game, it's not the end of the world. We've got a bye week — regroup. We've got eight games left. We're right in the thick of it [at] 5-4. A lot of teams are 5-4. Just gotta get back to practice and get ready to go."
When asked what he was going to do during the bye week, Burrow's response was simple: "Sit at home, sit on the couch and watch some football. It doesn't get better than that."
That doesn't sound like a man who's worried about the future. In fact, it's quite the opposite: Burrow is looking forward to it, he told Cowherd.
"I'm excited about where we are, about the coaching staff and all the players we have," he said. "I think the future is really bright for us."
Burrow doesn't sound buried just yet.
