The Cincinnati Bengals showed just how good they could be in Week 16's 45-21 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins, and with that, Joe Burrow's spirits were lifted to heights heretofore unseen of late.
Burrow balled out against a Dolphins defense that was on its heels all afternoon, throwing for 309 yards and four TDs. Unfortunately, another major injury this season and the Bengals' organizational failure means the team's record is only 5-10 despite Sunday's raging success.
So while Joe Shiesty was trying to cling to all the optimism he could in the wake of destroying the Dolphins — in stark contrast to his recent public venting about not having so much fun with football — things are far from rosy in Cincinnati when it comes to 2026 and beyond.
Read More: Ja'Marr Chase confirms what Joe Burrow & Bengals fans know is inevitable
Joe Burrow doesn't seem depressed anymore, but Bengals' flaws still run deep
Look at our man Joe Brrr all happy at the postgame podium! The lead quote of this caption, "That is how it is supposed to look." is much more in tune with what the takeaway should be from Sunday.
Joe Burrow on win over Miami: "That is how it is supposed to look like."
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) December 21, 2025
"It was fun. I'm having fun playing football. Not playing football is not fun. When you are sitting in a locker room rehabbing all day -- that is not why you do it. This is why you do it right here." pic.twitter.com/V4BoGhOLsE
Yeah, how it's supposed to look. In the past three seasons, it hasn't looked like this far too often. Let's not lie to ourselves, Who Dey Nation, facing Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers in his starting debut had a lot to do with Sunday's game getting away from the hosts.
Ewers actually played quite well in the first half, only to have a couple hard-luck interceptions and a lost fumble by Fins tight end Greg Dulcich send Miami into a tailspin.
Thanks to Burrow's brilliance, the Bengals capitalized on every single blunder the Dolphins made. And to be honest, Week 16's outcome will only feed the notion that head coach Zac Taylor and de facto GM Duke Tobin deserve more time.
Think about how high Taylor is riding after this pregame report, followed by the highest single-game scoring output of his entire tenure:
"There are no signs that the Bengals are planning to make major changes."
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 21, 2025
Zac Taylor is expected to return as the team's HC next season, per @TomPelissero. pic.twitter.com/HEdPbSo8Y7
But really, darn near any offensive coach could ride Burrow's coattails, let him take the wheel, and get phenomenal results. Not to take away from what Taylor did with Jake Browning in 2023 and Joe Flacco this season when Burrow was hurt. It's just...he's responsible for the whole team, not just the offense.
To be fair to Taylor, he's coaching with one arm tied behind his back. Tobin hasn't built out the defense well enough. Only when the games haven't mattered has Cincinnati's D shown signs of life.
Week 1 of next season will be a far stronger indicator of where this team is at. A proactive free agency period and an excepitonal draft are desperately needed. There's just no recent history to suggest the Bengals will be up to the task on either of those critical fronts.
So yeah, it's great to see Joe Burrow having fun again. At the same time, how well the Bengals played on Sunday may signal to the front office that major changes aren't necessary for next year.
And as any ball-knowing Bengals fan knows, even as outsiders, that couldn't be further from the truth.