CINCINNATI — In a typical set of 100 plays, 99 of them might have included clear passing lanes forCincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Then there’s that other performance.
That’s basically how Bengals head coach Zac Taylor described the team’s pass protection situation following Burrow’s latest significant injury. In Week 2 against theJacksonville Jaguars, Burrow sustained a turf toe injury that led to him being placed on injured reserve on Tuesday. As reported by Adam Schefter of Muara Digital Team, he is expected to sit out for three months as he prepares for upcoming surgery to fix the toe on his left foot.
This marks the third occasion that Burrow has been placed on injured reserve throughout his professional journey. This situation has sparked inquiries regarding whether the Bengals are adequately safeguarding their star quarterback. Without a doubt, this is a discussion that encompasses various perspectives.
However, it is evident that the blame is not being solely attributed to the offensive line for what occurred to Burrow.
The line always ends up taking the blame for it,” Taylor remarked. “I have faith in those players, and we’ll keep pushing them to give their best moving forward.
Criticism of the team has been ongoing since Burrow’s first season in 2020, when he sustained a season-ending injury to his left knee, involving multiple torn ligaments, including an ACL, after the offensive line collapsed around him. Since then, the Bengals have never ranked higher than 27th in pass block win rate, a metric provided by Muara Digital Teammetric using Next Gen Stats.
But that hasn’t prevented the Bengals from relying on Burrow and the aerial attack. In the previous season, Cincinnati ranked second in the NFL in dropbacks, coming just after theCleveland Browns. Cincinnati topped the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Although the Bengals did not qualify for the playoffs, Burrow was a finalist for MVP and the wide receiverJa’Marr Chaseclaimed the receiving triple crown by recording the highest number of receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), and receiving touchdowns (17).
The assertive, pass-focused strategy was mentioned by Taylor on Monday. He highlighted the achievements Cincinnati has had over the years due to this offensive approach, including two AFC North division championships (2021, 2022) and a Super Bowl LVI appearance, which was Burrow’s second year in the league.
Bengals’ offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher also supported those approaches.
As the Bengals began focusing on Burrow, they quickly made investments in their wide receivers. The team selected Higgins in 2020 and Chase in 2021, rewarding them with off-season contracts following strong performances. Together, the salaries of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins make up approximately 32% of the team’s 2025 salary cap, as reported by OverTheCap.com.
But Cincinnati has still managed to put money into its offensive line. Since 2020, the Bengals are ranked 19th in salary cap spending on the offensive line, according to Roster Management System. The largest investment was in left tackleOrlando Brown Jr., who joined the Bengals in 2023. Cincinnati also used a first-round selection on a right tackle.Amarius MimsIn 2024, to strengthen the other side. This off-season, the Bengals brought in a rookieDylan Fairchild and veteran Lucas Patrickto act as an offensive guard in an effort to strengthen the interior in a budget-friendly way.
We have developed this team structure-wise and have allocated resources to what we believe makes us one of the most dynamic, top passing offenses in football,” Pitcher stated. “Throughout the years, we have demonstrated that we certainly belong in that discussion.
There are dangers involved. Regardless of the action you take, you will face some level of risk.
However, there is another aspect to the discussion regarding how well Burrow is protected: his own performance. He has been sacked five times in nearly 1.5 games, which ranks him 10th in the league.
Prior to the team selecting him with the first overall pick in 2020, the Cincinnati franchise hadn’t secured a playoff victory since 1991. In the previous season, even though the Bengals had the lowest pass block win rate in the league, Burrow achieved a career-high fifth position in QBR.
And he has been willing to carry sacks and endure contact in order to make significant plays. When asked for a favorite example of these over the years, many came to mind. One that stood out was a play against theSan Francisco 49ersin which Burrow moved his thumb while moving around, indicating Chase to run across the back of the end zone, where Burrow located him for a touchdown.
There could be 99 such plays. However, there was one that occurred on Sunday. It resulted in a sack while the player was doing everything possible to advance the Bengals down the field.
You all watch the same games I do,” the pitcher said. “That definitely seems to me like something that makes him exceptional. So how do you tell him to turn it on one play and off another? How do you know that’s not the play that determines the game?
