CINCINNATI — One factor mattered most when it got here to Joe Burrow enjoying Monday night time: If the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback felt adequate to compete, he needed to be on the sphere.
Eight days after he aggravated a strained proper calf, Burrow performed each offensive snap and helped the Bengals decide up their first win of the season, a 19-16 resolution over the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bengals (1-2) had been dealing with their first potential three-game dropping streak since Burrow’s rookie season in 2020. That was an enormous think about Burrow pushing arduous to play within the prime-time sport regardless of the calf situation.
“There may be threat to go on the market and probably reinjure it,” Burrow mentioned. “However there’s additionally the danger to not go on the market and be 0-3. So I needed to be on the market for my guys, and I used to be assured that I’d have the ability to do what I wanted to get the win.”
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
Burrow was 26-of-49 passing for 259 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Afterward, he acknowledged that he and the offense have to be higher. Nonetheless, their efficiency was sufficient on an evening when Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson had two interceptions and the protection tallied six sacks and held the Rams to 1 landing on 4 crimson zone drives.
Burrow mentioned he went by way of a exercise Monday morning and felt adequate to play. He mentioned the standards was merely not having any setbacks. As soon as he practiced Friday and Saturday, he mentioned he felt assured in his capability to compete and voiced that sentiment to workforce personnel.
Bengals vast receiver Ja’Marr Chase was vocal all through the week about Burrow not enjoying if he wasn’t fully wholesome, and Chase repeated that opinion earlier than the sport.
“I used to be like, ‘You bought nuts, boy. I did not need you to play,'” Chase mentioned. “That simply reveals that Joe’s hardheaded. However he is a soccer participant, man. You may’t knock him from being robust like that. They do not make too many quarterbacks robust like that.”
Burrow responded by telling Chase that he was going to get the ball typically towards the Rams (1-2). And that is precisely what occurred: Chase had 12 catches on 15 targets for 141 yards, together with a 43-yard completion that examined Burrow’s calf.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor, the workforce’s offensive playcaller, dialed up a faux toss for Burrow that concerned him rolling to his proper with no safety. He discovered a wide-open Chase for Cincinnati’s longest play of the season.
Taylor mentioned the choice to have Burrow uncovered like that got here out of a dialogue within the days previous the sport about whether or not the 2 felt comfy about it. The coach and quarterback had one other dialog earlier than the play that ultimately arrange a subject objective.
“I requested him a number of performs earlier than, and he felt good about it,” Taylor mentioned. “It is a fast toss, most likely seven steps earlier than he whipped out the bench path to Ja’Marr.”
The Bengals did not want Burrow to maneuver a ton. They simply wanted for him to be cell sufficient. Burrow mentioned he was cautious with extending performs and wasn’t shy about throwing the ball away rapidly as he tried to get by way of the sport.
Regardless of being sacked twice and hit six occasions, with Rams defensive sort out Aaron Donald registering two of these hits, Burrow was on the sphere for the top of the competition.
The signal-caller is aware of the calf damage might flare up over the course of the season. However Monday’s efficiency was a promising signal because the Bengals put together for a street sport towards the Tennessee Titans.
“We did not have any setbacks at this time, but it surely’s nonetheless day-to-day,” Burrow mentioned. “I’ve realized by way of this course of that it may well occur at any time.
“It was good to get by way of this one. And which means we’ll be stronger for this week.”
