Bengals QB Joe Burrow ready for playoffs after sitting out Week 18 with sore knee

Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Joe Burrow dinged his knee in the Week 17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs that clinched the AFC North title for the Bengals, so the second-year pro understandably sat out this past Sunday's loss at the Cleveland Browns that mattered little to Cincinnati as it pertains to the postseason. 

Burrow commented last week he could've played in Week 18 "if I needed to" despite the sore knee, and he left little doubt that he'll be ready to go for Saturday's wild-card matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

"Physically it was good," Burrow said Tuesday of his personal bye week, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "Mentally it was a little weird not being with everybody. But it was a good little break. Ready to be back at it." 

Burrow and others who took no contact on the second Sunday of January should be rested heading into the weekend to face a Raiders side that beat the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime late Sunday night to advance into the playoffs. For what it's worth, the Bengals defeated the Raiders 32-13 in Las Vegas on Nov. 21.

Burrow completed 20-of-29 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown in that victory.