5 reasons why the Bengals need to consider sitting Joe Burrow

There is a lot of scuttlebutt about what the Cincinnati Bengals should do with their starting quarterback Joe Burrow. Should the team sit him and let him completely heal, or should he continue playing despite the team’s struggles?

The coaching staff has seemingly decided that Burrow will continue to play as long as he can walk.

However, to play Devil’s Advocate, here are five reasons why the Cincinnati Bengals should consider sitting their franchise quarterback. 

1) Ineffectiveness

The Cincinnati Bengals office is not running well right now. They are the second-worst-scoring offense in the entire NFL. Only the New York Giants have failed to score more points than them.

Their net gain per pass attempt, 4.2, ranks 31st in the NFL, just above the Giants, per Pro Football Reference. Cincinnati’s two passing touchdowns are tied for the fewest in the league through four games.

The Bengals rank 29th in passing yards while being sixth in the league in passing attempts. The teams that have thrown for fewer yards than Cincinnati are the Giants, Jets, and Falcons, who rank 17th, 26th, and 29th in passing attempts, respectively.

According to Pro Football Reference, the team’s 68.6 QBR is ranked last.

Burrow is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league in terms of completion percentage, QBR, and touchdowns thrown. His 57.6 completion percentage is 32nd out of 34. Burrow’s individual QBR, according to ESPN, is 29th out of 33. Based on Pro Football Reference rankings, Burrow’s 69.1 quarterback rating is 34th out of 34.

We all know that Joe Burrow's performance would be different if he were completely healthy. He has done enough to prove he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Now that he is injured, the offense is struggling and performing poorly.

If the Bengals want a chance to have a better offensive output, they should attempt to run a Zac Taylor, Brian Callahan, schemed offense with a healthy quarterback.

Many coaches believe in their system and think their scheme is good enough to get their backup through a couple of games with a chance to win. However, maybe Taylor does not believe this, not because Joe Burrow gives him the best chance to win, but because Joe Burrow is the system.

Therefore, Taylor might not want to chance it with a backup quarterback, no matter who that backup is. That would be unfortunate for a head coach who was brought in as a young offensive genius in the making.