Joe Burrow keeps stacking up MVP-caliber performances, and the Bengals keep cashing in.
Sunday’s 34-17 win over the Falcons was the latest example. Burrow was sharp from the opening drive to the final whistle, completing 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. It was another big outing in a stretch that has Cincinnati scoring 30-plus points in four straight weeks, making the Bengals the league’s most productive offense over that span.
After the game, Burrow talked about what the offense showed on an international stage.
"I wanted to come out and put on a show for everybody, and show what the excitement of the NFL can be," Burrow said. "And the NFL is really all about the stars and players making big time plays. And so you saw Ja'Marr Chase, you saw me, you saw Tee Higgins, you saw a lot of great players out there doing great things, and hopefully people took notice."
Burrow is getting plenty of attention already. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, he is the odds-on favorite to win MVP this season at +210 as of this writing.
He also sounded open to the idea of the league bringing this series to another country in 2027.
"We'll have to see where all the new places are next year. They're talking Mexico City.
People are talking about Tokyo. So I don't know.
We'll see," Burrow said about the series continuing in a new location.
For all the fireworks, Burrow wasn’t ready to call it perfect. He said there’s still plenty for this offense to clean up, even after another explosive day.
"Still, a lot of room to improve," Burrow noted. "Well, we didn't score on every single possession, so always room to improve, and it's never going to be perfect. So, a lot of room to grow and learn and improve from those reps."
The bigger picture is even better for Cincinnati. The Bengals are 6-2, and Burrow said the focus now shifts to a huge showdown next week against the Steelers for first place in the division.
"We have a chance to do everything that we set out to. We've worked really hard for a long time to put ourselves in this spot.
We're 6-2. We have a big game next week against the Steelers for first place in the division.
You know we're gonna have to go and get that one."
Burrow now leads the NFL in total touchdowns and is one game away from matching Peyton Manning’s 2004 five-game run for the most straight games with at least four total touchdowns. He’ll get that chance next Sunday night against the Steelers at home.
In Other News...
Shemar Stewart Suddenly Has A Bigger Bengals Opportunity In Madrid
As the Bengals get ready for their trip to Madrid to face the Falcons, Shemar Stewart is suddenly in line for a larger role than the one he has had so far. The rookie defensive lineman has been working through limited playing time, but the path to more snaps has opened up as Cincinnati deals with injuries up front and tries to keep its rotation intact for an overseas game that carries plenty of attention.
Zac Taylor pointed to the absences around Stewart as a reason his workload should grow, and the timing matters for a player who missed much of training camp before settling into the season. Even with that slow start, Stewart has kept a positive approach, and the Bengals now need him to turn that into production when the opportunities start coming more regularly. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Game Day Choice Could Start A New Bengals Debate
Joe Burrows game-day wardrobe drew a little extra attention during the Bengals Week 9 meeting with the Falcons, when he stepped out in custom orange-and-black Caddix cleats. The brand has been making noise around the league lately, helped along by interest from players and even endorsements from figures like Tom Brady, and Burrows choice fit neatly into the kind of style-conscious image he has built in Cincinnati.
The wrinkle is that Caddix is not an NFL-approved brand, which is where the conversation gets interesting for a player with Burrows visibility. Other players have already run into trouble for wearing the same cleats, and with Joe Flacco also connected to the brand, Burrows choice could easily spark a fresh Bengals-side debate about where fashion ends and league rules begin. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge AFC North Test After Steelers Bye Week
Pittsburgh heads into its bye week with plenty of momentum after rolling past Cleveland, a result that kept the Steelers atop the AFC North and underscored how well they are playing on both sides of the ball. Jaylen Warren gave the offense a burst on the ground, while the defense kept the Browns under pressure all afternoon with a pass rush that consistently disrupted the pocket and helped create extra possessions.
For Cincinnati, the timing only raises the stakes for what comes next. The Bengals will get the division leader in prime time at Paycor Stadium on Nov. 15, with NBC carrying the matchup and streaming available on Fubo, and it arrives as one of the clearest measuring-stick games left on the schedule. If the Bengals want to make up ground in the AFC North, this is the kind of test that can shape the rest of the race. [Read more 🡒]
