Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals had a nightmarish start to their season against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Cincinnati scored zero touchdowns and just one field goal in its 24-3 loss at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Burrow finished with a paltry 82 passing yards – the lowest single-game total of his NFL career by far.
After the contest, the 26-year-old quarterback tried to calm the nerves of those already worried about the Bengals.
“Nobody is panicking in here, guys. Week 1 doesn’t define anybody’s season. Obviously, not very good out there. Anybody that watched saw that. But we have been in this spot before and come back stronger and had great years. That’s what we are going to do,” said Burrow, via Geoff Hobson of the Bengals’ official website.
The Bengals did go 0-2 to start off last season. They performed just fine the rest of the way, though, finishing with a 12-2 record while winning their final eight games.
However, the Bengals’ two season-opening losses in 2022 were by a combined six points. They weren’t as one-sided as Sunday's 21-point drubbing from their Ohio neighbors.
Burrow has been dealing with a lingering calf injury that forced him to miss most of training camp. The Bengals signal-caller said his calf “felt good enough” against the Browns.
The Bengals will have a chance to even their record in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. However, another loss might leave Burrow feeling the weight of expectations stemming from his massive new contract.
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