Cincinnati Bengals fans were devastated when Joe Burrow exited the Week 2 game against the Jaguars and even more crushed when it was revealed that he'd miss at least three months with a toe injury. Having a quarterback like Burrow is such a gift because it gives the Bengals a chance to win every single game.
The downside to that is that, when Burrow misses time, this team isn't going to be as threatening. Some might view Burrow being out for three months as him essentially missing the rest of the season but there's still a glimmer of hope for the Bengals.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated appeared on 97.1 The Fan to discuss the injury to Burrow and he didn't view this injury as the end of Cincinnati's season. He brought up how Burrow is out three months but could still end up returning at some point.
Breer talked about how the Bengals have 11 games between now and the exact three-month mark of Burrow's injury and depending on how they do there could set Burrow up to return at the end of the season to help the team push for a playoff berth.
"I don't think the season's lost," Breer said. "If you really push this, and like, let's say that the Bengals go 6-5 over that stretch, which Jake Browning went 4-3 over a seven-game stretch two years ago, now all of a sudden, you're 8-5. You've got the Ravens in that Week 15 game but then the last three games, they're not layups, but I believe Miami's in there, Arizona is in there, like, you could see a scenario where it's like you can get in [the playoffs] and get in with some momentum."
Bengals fans need to hear what Albert Breer is saying about the team after Joe Burrow's injury
Breer did make sure to note that his scenario only applies if Burrow can truly return right at the three-month mark. All injuries are different so it's hard to say if Burrow will be able to return when the timetable hits three months or if he'll need more time to recover. If he can jump back in and Jake Browning keeps the team afloat, however, there is a scenario where Burrow can help guide the Bengals into the playoffs and, as Breer said, "get in with some momentum."
In the past two years, the Bengals have started off slow and that's ultimately what cost them a trip to the playoffs despite hot finishes. What's frustrating about this season is that Cincinnati finally started off 2-0 and now they don't have their best player. The good news though is that they have the two additional wins at the beginning of the season that they haven't had in years past.
Will that be enough to get them into the postseason this year? If Burrow can return, can this team make a run come January and even February? Let's keep our fingers crossed that they can.