NFL News: Joe Burrow issues strong warning to Zac Taylor, Bengals teammates and front office

To say the Cincinnati Bengals‘ performance in the 2024 NFL season has been disappointing would be an understatement. Even with Joe Burrow playing at a high level, Zac Taylor’s team can’t seem to get results.

On Sunday, the Bengals fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in another high-scoring affair against a division rival. Speaking to reporters after the game, Burrow showed his frustration with his team’s campaign.

“I would say we need to change a lot of things this year,” Burrow said. “We haven’t been good enough to win games. It starts with your division. You always want to win those, and we haven’t. So we’ve got to do a better job.”

With an 4-8 record through 13 weeks, the Bengals’ chances of making the 2025 NFL playoffs look slim. Burrow, however, warned everyone in the organization that the upcoming weeks will be very telling for the franchise’s future. His message was primarily directed at his teammates, but it also involves Taylor and the front office.

Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on after the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.

“I think we’ll learn a lot about who we have in the locker room,” Burrow said. “The guys we can count on going forward, and the guys we can’t. The next six weeks will say a lot about who we can count on and who we can’t.”

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Bengals’ defense holding Joe Burrow back in the 2024 NFL season

It’s hard to explain that Cincinnati is 4-8 and on a three-game losing streak considering Burrow’s performance in 2024. This year, the Bengals quarterback has brought his A-game week after week, yet the team has failed to seize it.

Burrow has been leading an explosive offense, as the Bengals (335) only trail the Buffalo Bills (355) and Baltimore Ravens (383) in points scored in the AFC. A weak defense, however, has held them back.

In contrast to their offense, the Bengals are the team with the most points allowed in the conference (340). Only the Carolina Panthers (366) have conceded more points in the 2024 NFL season through 13 weeks.

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Burrow, Chase let down by Bengals’ defense

The Bengals have lost four games where they managed to score more than 30 points. Three of them were against division rivals. Therefore, Burrow hasn’t been the problem.

“I feel like I can do anything,” Burrow said when asked about the way he’s playing. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase went a step further, suggesting that the offense feels like its needs to score on every possession because they can’t trust in the defense: “It’s kind of our expectation now.”