Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals suffered a devastating 24-0 loss Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium. Burrow went 25-for-39 for 225 passing yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, including a 95-yard pick-six. The Week 15 divisional loss officially eliminates the Bengals from playoff contention this season. 

Cincinnati has been through the wringer this season with injuries, suspensions, confusing comments, and, most of all, losing. Earlier in the week, Burrow made some concerning comments regarding his lack of fun playing the game of football, which led many to believe he wanted to be traded or even retire. Fortunately for Bengals fans, Burrow clarified that his comments had nothing to do with the organization, and he has full belief in the management and coaching staff. 

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow

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Adding to the positive side, head coach Zac Taylor had encouraging news for Bengals fans before Monday’s practice. 

Taylor announced to the press that, despite being eliminated from playoff contention, Burrow will remain the starting quarterback for the rest of this season. 

This is definitely encouraging for fans, considering Burrow’s questionable comments. Burrow and the organization are not only expressing their commitment to each other, but they are showing it by keeping him on the field in meaningless games. The question now becomes, is this the right move for both sides?

Should Burrow Be Playing in the Last Three Games?

While there shouldn’t be anyone who doesn’t want to see a healthy Burrow playing in the NFL, if the Bengals want to be better next year, is it smart to be trying to win games? The more games Cincinnati wins this season, the worse first-round pick it will receive in next year’s draft. 

If Burrow were a young gun who was trying to establish a name for himself or even confidence, one could argue that this is a smart move. Fortunately for him, he’s the furthest thing from it. He has put the NFL on notice for several years now that he is one of the best players in the world at his position. Although he has played in limited games this season, in the games he has played, he has put up exceptional numbers, minus a few throws. 

In Burrow’s last three games since coming back from injury, he’s had 770 passing yards to go along with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Anyone who watched the 39-34 loss to the Buffalo Bills can acknowledge that Burrow played exceptionally well until the back-to-back interceptions came along. Even against the Ravens, Burrow led the offense well outside of, again, the two interceptions. In his career, he is just shy of a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while after the last two games, Burrow is now 2:1 on the season.