Joe Burrow's anticipated comeback can't fix Bengals' most frustrating problem

The Cincinnati Bengals are a directionless 3-8 football team whose collective morale collapsed after a 2-0 start when superstar quarterback Joe Burrow went down with a brutal turf toe injury.

Fast forward to Week 13's impending Thanksgiving duel with the AFC North rival Ravens, and Cincinnati has lost eight of nine as Burrow is tracking to will his way back into the lineup. Keeping Burrow out for Sunday's loss to the Patriots seemed smart at the time, until the Bengals actually had a chance to win the game at the end in spite of Joe Flacco's pick-six.

Starting Joe Brrr mere days later when the season is effectively over is cool and all for the holiday. It just seems...pointless? And I mean that in the context of not just this season, but how the last few years have trended in Cincinnati.

Zac Taylor anticipates Joe Burrow will play on Thanksgiving, but Bengals' lack of complementary football still haunts them

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Monday that he expects Joe Burrow to play in Baltimore, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

Again, fantabulous! Seeing Burrow on the gridiron again will make me and Who Dey Nation ecstatic on Thursday evening. So what if the playoffs aren't realistic anymore? It's always a pleasure to watch No. 9 when he's healthy.

I'm not as worried about the offensive line protecting Burrow as years past. Plus, they've really picked up the slack in the running game, which should give Cincinnati's offense better balance down the stretch and into next season. That's assuming good health and continuity in the trenches.

Here's the problem: The sudden emergence of the rushing attack was preceded by an atrocious start to the season.

That was right when Burrow got injured and Jake Browning was in the lineup. Saddled by a one-dimensional offense and burdened by his unexpected chance to cement his status as an NFL-caliber starter, Browning was a shell of the player who replaced Burrow in 2023 with such aplomb. For lack of better phrasing, Browning choked en route to chucking eight interceptions in a four-game span.

The defense picked up the offense during a sluggish start even when Burrow was healthy in September. Then, they regressed to the point that they were historically terrible.

If not for a five-game winning streak to close 2024 thanks to Burrow's elite QB play (4,918 passing yards, 43 TDs, 9 INTs), I'm sure that Bengals defensive unit would've qualified for the list above. The 2023 iteration of Cincinnati's defense ranked 31st in yards allowed, too.

Bottom line is, the Bengals haven't been able to play complementary football in years. Joe Flacco played so well against the Jets and Bears, only to watch the defense fail him in gut-wrenching 39-38 and 47-42 losses. How this team isn't at least 5-6 rather than 3-8 is beyond my understanding of the mundane plane of existence.

The playoffs are all about surviving and advancing. The same can be said about the Bengals' bizarre, near-meaningless stretch of the next six games.

Maybe Cincinnati will finally learn to play complementary football. I doubt it. That's an elusive concept to even describe, yet you know it when you see it. It's like the Bengals are a golfer who can't piece all of the elements of their game together.

Case in point: When Evan McPherson drilled a 63-yard field goal on Sunday, I couldn't help but recall all the missed kicks from 2024 that could've launched Cincinnati into the postseason.

Goal No. 1 for the Bengals should be to get to the clubhouse, aka past Week 18, with as few injuries as possible. See what you have in younger players without putting Burrow at risk. Preserve the health of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at all costs.

Maybe that's why Jermaine Burton remains on the roster, to be a sacrificial snap-getter as the season winds down.

These are the types of things crossing my mind ahead of Week 13. Just goes to show how Joe Burrow deserves so much better.

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