Joe Burrow took plenty of heat after Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the criticism only got louder when the Bengals quarterback delivered the kind of red-zone mistake that can swing a game in an instant.
Cincinnati had been getting the kind of help from its defense that usually opens the door for a win. The Bengals kept Jacksonville out of the end zone for much of the afternoon, but Burrow and the offense couldn’t turn that into enough points. Burrow finished the game with two interceptions, and one of them came in a spot where Cincinnati had a real chance to seize control.
His first pick came late in the second quarter. Burrow was hit as he let go of a third-down throw, and the ball floated into coverage for an interception.
The second one was the one that drew the loudest reaction. Trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter, the Bengals had 1st and goal inside the Jacksonville 10-yard line.
A touchdown there would have put Cincinnati in front. Instead, Burrow tried to squeeze a pass into the middle of the field and got picked off.
There was also another interception in the first half, but that one was wiped out by a roughing the passer penalty.
The mistakes brought a wave of criticism online, especially after Burrow had already been under scrutiny last week when a stat surfaced about his struggles in clutch situations.
“Joe Burrow has made too many costly mistakes today. First INT he was hit so I can excuse it.
This one right here was just egregious. Bengals defense has been doing it’s job.
At some point Joe Burrow has to do his,” wrote Joel Moran of the Pick a Side podcast.
“Joe Burrow just isn’t Joe Burrow anymore. Panicky. The brain isn’t there anymore,” wrote Cincinnati sports outlet Nati Sports.
“And that Joe Burrow interception just cannot happen,” wrote James Rapien of BengalsTalk.com.
“Joe Burrow throwing meatball subs,” wrote SleeperNFL of his interceptions.
“Well there’s no defending Joe Burrow on that one,” wrote Jake Liscow of the Locked On Bengals.
“Very Joe Burrow to be playing incredible and then throw the worst INT you’ve ever seen in your life,” wrote longtime NFL analyst Willie Lutz.
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