Emotions are high for Cincinnati Bengals fans after yet another heartbreaking loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, classy winning quarterback Josh Allen offered some reassurance for Joe Burrow and Bengals fans in the wake of their 39-34 loss in Buffalo.
Allen balled out yet again against a troubled Bengals defense. Then again, any defense looks troubled more often than not when trying to game plan against the Bills superstar.
It says a lot about Allen that he took time to acknowledge his equally-great counterpart after accounting for 328 total yards and four TDs. Check out what he had to say below.
Josh Allen praises Bengals QB Joe Burrow in aftermath of Week 14's thriller
Joe Burrow didn't have such a slouch of a game himself. Sure, he threw interceptions on two consecutive passes in the fourth quarter, but still stormed back to position the Bengals with a chance to win at the end.
Unfortunately, the defense just couldn't do enough to thwart Allen. In so many high-leverage moments, Allen pulled through with stunning throws and electrifying runs to send Highmark Stadium into a frenzy.
But what Allen said afterwards speaks to why he's such a beloved leader, and why it's not time to panic in Cincinnati from a big-picture perspective.
"A really good team that we just played. One of the best offenses, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and really, of all-time. The dude's an absolute stud. So to find a way to get this dub, the way it happened, I'm very proud of our guys."
Other than the two giveaways and a couple of uncharacteristic wayward throws in the snows of Buffalo, Joe Brrr was chillingly good. He threw for 284 yards and four TDs on the Bills' No. 1 pass defense, despite not getting a ton of help from his defense or running game.
As bleak as things are looking for the Bengals at the minute, I can't help but return to what Thanksgiving's 32-14 win in Baltimore felt like.
Burrow reestablished the Super Bowl standard that he's single-handedly brought to the organization since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2020. For most of four quarters, he played well enough to secure a massive victory on the road against one of the other best QBs of all-time.
Also worth bearing in mind: Cincinnati was without its best pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson. He may not stay with the team beyond this season. Nevertheless, the defense has made strides of late despite his absence.
When Burrow went down in Week 2 with his turf toe injury, and the Bengals' defense got off to such a horrendous start through Week 9 in particular, playoff hopes were slim as it was. There just isn't enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to compete for a Super Bowl, regardless of Joe Shiesty's best, extraordinary efforts.
One halfway-decent offseason later, and the Bengals should be right back in the mix among the AFC's elite. They'll likely miss the playoffs for a third year in a row, but as awesome as Burrow has looked for the most part since his return, it won't take much at all to get Cincinnati over the hump and back into the postseason.
Prior to Sunday, the running game had been trending in a great direction, too. Hopefiully this was just a minor setback. Plus, the pass protection for Burrow is as good as it's been in his career.
A little luck and a little more help once this season ends should have Joe Burrow playing playoff football again in short order. Josh Allen's postgame comments hint at that promising future.