Joe Burrow smoothing over massive Bengals problem won't make it go away

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was a little irked to say the least after his team lost 22-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. Can't blame him, after getting pummeled in the pocket all afternoon whilst Chase Brown ran for a whole 10 yards on nine carries.

Burrow is used to having next to no support in the running game. Is this due to Zac Taylor's terrible scheming? Is Chase Brown flat-out not good enough? Is the offensive line more to blame?

You could pin it on any combo of factors, yo. After the latest loss, Taylor was keen to see the silver lining, while Burrow was in a no-excuses mood. When asked to respond to how bad the Bengals were running the ball, Joe Shiesty said, "My response to that is, let's throw it more. I know that's what we do best."

Bottom line is, Burrow wants to air it out as much as it takes to win. However, he has come to his senses on what sustainable winning looks like.

Burrow owns up to misguided postgame remark and costly Week 4 mistakes

During his latest press conference, Joe Burrow acknowledged that he let the heat of the moment and losing yet another winnable game get the best of him. Of course, he recognizes that he can't drop back 50-plus times on a regular basis and expect to make it through a season healthy.

“I might have been a little emotional after the game. […] Obviously you want to have balance as an offense, and the run game wasn't good enough on Sunday, and I feel confident in myself that you put it in my hands and I'm going to make it work…It’s very situational. When you get into a game like Sunday, and they're a really good defense, really good front seven, I felt like we were we were moving the ball pretty well in the pass game. […] I could have been better in spots to help our guys and not put our defense in bad positions with the turnovers…But yeah, we’ve got to be more balanced going forward, and a big part of that is the run game.”

I sure hope the Bengals can be more balanced. Otherwise, Burrow is going to have a hard time staying on the field for the full 17 games plus playoffs.

Yes, the Jaguars are a great front seven even after losing All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd in the offseason. Cincinnati returns every starter on the o-line, though, and those fellas are doing well enough to pave lanes for Chase Brown and Samaje Perine, per certain advanced metrics.

I don't put too much stock in these numbers, but the point is, the Bengals' blocking isn't some glaring problem. To me, it's to do with the fact that Taylor's scheme lacks imagination, and Brown cannot generate enough yards after contact.

The Bengals' biggest issue on offense still remains...with no fix in sight

I wish it were as easy as snapping our fingers and trading for an upgrade over Chase Brown. Or I wish the playbook could be turned inside out for more exotic runs.

But Joe Burrow has a big hand in designing the offense too. I would've thought he'd be smart enough by now to advocate for a more robust run package. Unfortunately, Cincinnati doesn't have a Kyle Shanahan or Klint Kubiak type walking through the door who can build an effective offense with a run-first mentality.

Few teams are likely willing to help the Bengals get over the hump if they want to find a running back before the trade deadline. Right?

I personally don't think finding a superior player to Brown would be some insurmountable challenge, but it's also a pride point for the front office. They don't want to admit a supposed draft diamond who could be extended next offseason is not panning out when it matters most.

And we know when push comes to shove, the Bengals will lean on Burrow for all he's worth to move the ball, and he'll embrace that role. It can create a lot of fireworks and wins. I just question how sustainable it is in Cincinnati's quest for that first Lombardi Trophy.

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