Joe Burrow has put the Cincinnati Bengals on his back as prospect of ‘wasted year’ looms large
The Cincinnati Bengals’ faint playoff hopes are still alive heading into Week 18. Joe Burrow and co appeared well out of the race after their 44-38 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in December, which saw the team drop to a dismal 4-8 record. The Bengals can still reach the playoffs, and Burrow is trying to make that happenGetty But they have bounced back since, with a four-game winning streak that has pulled them back to 8-8 on the season. Now, Cincinnati need to defeat the Steelers on the road in their regular season finale – and get help from a few other teams – to reach the postseason. If both the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins lose this weekend, and the Bengals win, they will sneak into the playoffs. Much of Cincinnati’s success in the last month, which has seen them fight back from the brink, can be credited to quarterback Joe Burrow. He has thrown three touchdown passes in each of the last four games, and connected with Tee Higgins in overtime last time out to secure a crucial victory against the Broncos to keep the playoff hopes alive. When the team needed him most, Burrow dragged them across the line. In fact, he has been putting up MVP numbers all season long. The 28-year-old star has thrown for a league-leading 4,641 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also has the fifth-lowest interception rate and the fifth-highest completion percentage going into Week 18. Those kind of numbers suggest he should be under center for a Super Bowl contender, not a team in danger of missing the playoffs. Burrow has put the Bengals on his back in recent weeks as the team chase a playoff spotGetty And that means all the incredible work Burrow has done this season could be in vain. In an interview with talkSPORT ahead of Week 18, former NFL cornerback Jason Bell credited Burrow for putting the Bengals ‘on his back’ – and admitted he wants to see them in the playoffs. “Sometimes it’s hard, you don’t believe in magic and then somebody does a trick in front of you and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything like that before.’ That’s what I feel like when Burrow is out there,” Bell said. “It’s just magic. The things he does, the plays he makes, he puts the whole organization on his back. “They’ve got superstars, but when you think of Cincinnati, you think of Joe Burrow. This year has almost been wasted because he should be an MVP candidate. “It should be him and Lamar (Jackson). His numbers are out of control, but this is why you want him in the playoffs. Burrow and Jackson should be leading the MVP conversation, according to Bell “You want them to win this game because you want to see Joe Burrow. He can take out anybody in the playoffs. He has the mentality, ‘If I gotta score 30-plus’ he can go out there and do it.” The Bengals, of course, will be relying on other teams as they hope to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2022. But if they do sneak in, Cincinnati will be one of the most exciting teams to watch, thanks to the magic their QB produces on the field. talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel. talkSPORT will bring you live coverage across Week 18 with a double header featuring the Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
The Cincinnati Bengals’ faint playoff hopes are still alive heading into Week 18.
Joe Burrow and co appeared well out of the race after their 44-38 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in December, which saw the team drop to a dismal 4-8 record.
But they have bounced back since, with a four-game winning streak that has pulled them back to 8-8 on the season.
Now, Cincinnati need to defeat the Steelers on the road in their regular season finale – and get help from a few other teams – to reach the postseason.
If both the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins lose this weekend, and the Bengals win, they will sneak into the playoffs.
Much of Cincinnati’s success in the last month, which has seen them fight back from the brink, can be credited to quarterback Joe Burrow.
He has thrown three touchdown passes in each of the last four games, and connected with Tee Higgins in overtime last time out to secure a crucial victory against the Broncos to keep the playoff hopes alive.
When the team needed him most, Burrow dragged them across the line.
In fact, he has been putting up MVP numbers all season long.
The 28-year-old star has thrown for a league-leading 4,641 yards and 42 touchdowns.
He also has the fifth-lowest interception rate and the fifth-highest completion percentage going into Week 18.
Those kind of numbers suggest he should be under center for a Super Bowl contender, not a team in danger of missing the playoffs.
And that means all the incredible work Burrow has done this season could be in vain.
In an interview with talkSPORT ahead of Week 18, former NFL cornerback Jason Bell credited Burrow for putting the Bengals ‘on his back’ – and admitted he wants to see them in the playoffs.
“Sometimes it’s hard, you don’t believe in magic and then somebody does a trick in front of you and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything like that before.’ That’s what I feel like when Burrow is out there,” Bell said.
“It’s just magic. The things he does, the plays he makes, he puts the whole organization on his back.
“They’ve got superstars, but when you think of Cincinnati, you think of Joe Burrow. This year has almost been wasted because he should be an MVP candidate.
“It should be him and Lamar (Jackson). His numbers are out of control, but this is why you want him in the playoffs.
“You want them to win this game because you want to see Joe Burrow. He can take out anybody in the playoffs. He has the mentality, ‘If I gotta score 30-plus’ he can go out there and do it.”
The Bengals, of course, will be relying on other teams as they hope to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
But if they do sneak in, Cincinnati will be one of the most exciting teams to watch, thanks to the magic their QB produces on the field.
talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.
talkSPORT will bring you live coverage across Week 18 with a double header featuring the Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
