Joe Burrow Reflects on Bengals’ Missed Playoffs, Takes Accountability for Disappointing Season
Despite putting up a season that would have earned him NFL MVP honors in most years, Joe Burrow acknowledged that the Cincinnati Bengals’ failure to reach the playoffs was largely due to their struggling defense. While Burrow led the league in completions, yards, and touchdowns, his performance became a subject of debate, with some praising his efforts and others pointing fingers at him as part of the issue.
It was a rare situation where one of the best passing seasons in recent memory became divisive, and media outlets made the most of the controversy.
However, months after the Bengals’ playoff hopes were dashed, Burrow offered his honest take on the matter.
“If I had played even better, we wouldn’t have been in that spot,” Burrow said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I just focus on getting better myself, and I feel like everyone in the locker room feels the same way. If I go out there and play better than I did last year, then it doesn’t matter what goes on anywhere else.”
Burrow’s perspective is hard to dispute—every player can reflect and think they could have done more to avoid a disappointing season. But with Burrow, the question remains: how much better could he realistically have been?
Moving forward, though, the Bengals have had a strong offseason, bolstering their offensive playmakers. Burrow’s comments reflect the kind of leadership teams look for—a quarterback who takes responsibility and recognizes how to handle tough situations, even if they may not always be entirely fair.
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