Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

Bengals reveal what saved their season

The Bengals seemed to be suffering from a Super Bowl hangover through the first five weeks. But they've been able to turn their season around ever since, and it's mostly because of one player.

The evolution of Cincinnati's offense has been centered around quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals gave him "more control to make adjustments" with the help of QB coach Dan Pitcher and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

Since Week 5, the Bengals have been red hot, and with Cincinnati's 23-10 win over the Browns in Week 14, the team has now won seven of the last eight games and five straight.

It's Burrow's first career win against Cleveland, and he did it down a couple of his best playmakers. Wide receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd both left the matchup and didn't return. 

Burrow's talent and leadership have been on full display this year, and now the Bengals' turnaround makes all the more sense.

The third-year quarterback elevates everyone around him, and new players continue to step up each week. 

"We got other guys to come in and step up," RB Joe Mixon said after the game. "Everybody was making plays."

Cincinnati has become a team nobody wants to face. The Bengals head to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers in Week 15 where they are favored.

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