Joe Burrow is still winless in Cleveland after he and the Cincinnati Bengals scored just three points in an eventual 24-3 loss to the Browns in the season opener. It was a brutal performance for Burrow and the Bengals, especially after the team just made Burrow the highest-paid player in the league a few days ago.
Burrow finished the game going just 14-of-31 for 82 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was sacked twice and pressured often. The Browns' defensive line teed off on the Bengals' offensive line and Burrow paid the price for that. He was eventually replaced by Jake Browning late in the game.
The good news is that this is only one game and Burrow isn't worried about his team. He told the media following the 21-point loss "Nobody is panicking in here, guys. Week 1 doesn't define anybody's season."
Joe Burrow on 24-3: "Nobody is panicking in here, guys. Week 1 doesn’t define anybody’s season. Obviously, not very good out there. Anybody that watched saw that. But we have been in this spot before and come back stronger and had great years. That’s what we are going to do."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 10, 2023
Joe Burrow isn't worried about his team after loss
Burrow did not play in the preseason after he suffered a calf sprain on just the second day of training camp. He's yet to have a normal preseason since entering the league in 2020 and the rust has certainly shown in the first few games. This performance might have just been a result of Burrow not taking a snap in a game since the AFC Championship loss and if that's the case, we have proof that Burrow can bounce back from that.
NFL seasons are a marathon, not a sprint and it's good to see that Burrow and his guys aren't overreacting to their poor performance. He said that his calf felt fine though, so that's good to hear from him.
We'll all hopefully have forgotten about this performance a few months down the road when the Cincinnati Bengals are vying for the AFC North title once again.