After a disappointing 16–10 loss to the Steelers in Week 12, NFL fans were quickly reminded how much the Bengals struggle when star quarterback Joe Burrow is not under center.
After Burrow recovered from a nagging calf injury, Cincinnati bounced back from a 1–3 start by ripping off four consecutive wins. But in Week 11, Burrow was lost for the season after suffering a torn ligament in his right throwing hand.
Following Sunday’s loss, the Bengals fell to 5–6 on the season.
More shockingly is that Zac Taylor dropped to a dismal 4–28–1 (.125) as head coach in games without Burrow. Meanwhile, the club is 29–22–1 (.568) in the elite passer's 52 games as a starter in the NFL.
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In Jake Browning’s first NFL start, the Bengals rookie quarterback completed 19 of 26 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. However, the effort was not good enough as Cincinnati fell to 0–4 in the AFC North.
The Bengals will find a difficult endeavor when they attempt to snap their three-game losing streak in Week 13. The reeling squad will head on the road to take on the AFC South-leading Jaguars next Monday night at 8:15 p.m. ET.
