Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals were hoping to get back on track as a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the AFC after injuries derailed last season.
The Bengals’ primary concern coming into the campaign was making sure superstar quarterback Joe Burrow was healthy and ready to perform back under center.
In Week 1, the Bengals were thought to have one of the easiest games on their schedule, as they would be facing the new-look New England Patriots, who parted with legendary head coach Bill Belichick after 24 seasons and cleaned house with former player Jerod Mayo now at the helm.
With the Patriots seemingly in full rebuild mode, the Bengals were favored to come away with an easy win, but that was far from the case, with New England pulling off arguably the biggest upset of Week 1.
During the game, there was a lot of talk about Burrow and whether he was fully healthy and recovered, as he didn’t look like his usual self and struggled in the passing game, which is a significant cause for concern, according to NFL insider Kevin Clark of ESPN.
“Yes, we’ve seen bad Septembers from Joe Burrow and him recover in October and November. I don’t know if that’s the scenario here. This is very worrying,” Clark said on “Around The Horn.”
"Yes, we've seen bad Septembers from Joe Burrow and him recover in October and November. I don't know if that's the scenario here. This is very worrying." – @bykevinclark on the Cincinnati QB's wrist pic.twitter.com/IpoGV1nr1b
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) September 12, 2024
If Burrow isn’t healthy or cannot reclaim his form as an elite quarterback, the Bengals could be in for another long and disappointing season.
Only one game has been played, and the panic button shouldn’t be pressed yet, but the concerns in Cincinnati are real and could get even bigger with another disappointing performance in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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