Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals ran into a kind of heat on Sunday that they simply haven’t seen much lately.
In a 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Burrow was pressured 20 times, according to Next Gen Stats. That worked out to 34.5% of his dropbacks and marked the most pressure the Bengals have faced since a Week 11 game against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
The pressure showed up in the final result. Burrow threw two interceptions, and the last one ended up being the killer, cutting off a potential game-winning drive.
Jacksonville didn’t need a huge sack total to make life miserable, either. The Jaguars finished with just two sacks, but the constant disruption still shaped the game.
That kind of breakdown up front is becoming a familiar issue for Cincinnati. It was part of the story two weeks ago as well, when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Bengals after a Burrow sack led to a fumble recovery. Sunday’s loss only added another example of how quickly pressure can flip a game on its head.
The Bengals have given up just nine sacks this season, which is the 15th most in the league, so this isn’t the same offensive line Cincinnati has rolled out in past years. Even so, the Jaguars found a way to get Burrow uncomfortable, and that may be the blueprint for teams trying to slow the Bengals down.
Burrow remains one of the league’s top quarterbacks, but pressure is still pressure, and he’s not the type who can consistently turn a collapsing pocket into something clean. The Bengals now have to sort out how to handle that before they face the Miami Dolphins this Sunday.
The schedule is moving fast, and Cincinnati has work to do. The pressure is coming.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Sparked A New Bengals Debate Around Joe Burrow
The Bengals have been leaning on Joe Burrow and the passing game to carry the offense, and early in the season the running game has not done much to ease that load. It is the kind of imbalance that can work when the quarterback is humming, but it also puts extra pressure on the passing attack to stay sharp every week.
Rex Ryan recently put that familiar issue back in the spotlight, warning that a team built almost entirely around the pass can run into trouble if it never finds a steadier ground game. For Cincinnati, the concern is not whether Burrow can produce, but whether opponents will start selling out against the pass and force the Bengals to answer with a rushing attack that has not yet shown enough consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Bengals receiver room has suddenly become a talking point again, and not in the way they would prefer. With Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase both dealing with injuries, Cincinnati is staring at a familiar problem at the exact moment the offense can least afford it, which is why the idea of adding another wideout has started circulating around the team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name getting the most attention in that conversation, thanks to his talent and the kind of fit he would represent in Cincinnatis passing game. It is still only speculation, but the discussion says plenty about where the Bengals are right now: thin at receiver, under pressure to keep the offense afloat, and suddenly in the middle of a debate fans did not see coming. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Star Sounds Alarm On A Problem Burrow Can't Escape
Through the first five weeks, the Bengals offense has been under a familiar kind of stress, and former receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh says the pressure is coming from a spot Cincinnati cannot afford to ignore. He pointed to opponents working the left side of the offensive line to get after Joe Burrow, a problem that has helped disrupt the rhythm of an attack that is still trying to find its footing.
Houshmandzadeh also flagged trouble covering tight ends and noted Burrows two interceptions as costly plays in a season where every mistake seems to carry extra weight. With Miami and Baltimore next on the schedule, the Bengals are staring at a stretch that will test whether those issues can be cleaned up quickly or whether they keep following Burrow from week to week. [Read more 🡒]