Joe Burrow’s Unusual Comments Should Worry Bengals Fans…

The Bengals lost to the Bills on Sunday, and yes, there’s a chance at the playoffs, but that’s probably not going to happen. And I’m not here to tell you that it still can happen. I’m here to give you my biggest concern following Sunday’s game. It isn’t the loss. It isn’t even Zack Taylor’s future or the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals. It’s what I heard after the game from the most important man in the building. Let’s get to it right now on Cincinnati Bengals Talk. [Music] Let’s dive in because this is concerning. It’s concerning. Joe Burrow is as competitive as they come. I’ve watched Joe Burrow get visibly frustrated with himself at pingpong, which I can relate to because I get visibly frustrated when a lot of things don’t go my way when I’m trying to compete and win and all of those things. And so I’ve seen him whether it’s ping pong, I know he plays video games. Guess what? I guarantee you he gets frustrated with those things when he it’s not going his way. So when the Bengals lose to the Bills 3934 in a game that they should have won, a game that they blew quite frankly, and I have some stats that I’ll get to later in this show about Sunday, what it meant, some stats that really stand out. But before we do that, my biggest concern, the thing that irks me the most, concerns me the most, and is on my mind the most on this Monday morning as I record this, it’ll be Monday afternoon by the time you see it, is what Joe Burrow said after the game. Joe Burrow didn’t talk about, “Oh man, we’re going to go. We should we should have won that game. We didn’t.” He wasn’t pounding his fist. He wasn’t dejected like I’ve seen him in some games. Instead, it was kind of like sometimes this is how seasons go. It was almost accepting. This is what Joe Burrow had to say after the game. And I’ll explain more about why I’m concerned about his comments. Like I said, I’m just happy to be out there. Um, you know, we we want to win games and be in the playoffs and and do everything that, you know, we say that we’re capable of doing. Um, but, you know, when I came back, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle. Uh, we were we were 3 and eight at that point. That’s certainly not a playoff caliber position to be in. And you know, really we’re we’re still not out of it. We’re going to be we’re going to be three games back. I don’t know who who won between the Ravens and the Steelers. Um does anybody have some information for me? Who did? Steelers won. Steelers won. Uh I think that makes it a little tougher. That that probably lowers our our chances even more. But you know, that’s how the cookie crumbles. I knew, like I said, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle for us when when I was coming back. And that’s not, you know, that wasn’t really in my thought process too much. Uh, now I just want to come back and put on a show and play well in front of everybody. So, there’s a couple of things there. First things first, a lot of people are going to say, “Well, he’s just coming back. He’s dealt with injuries, all of those things.” And that’s fine, but the Joe Bro I know isn’t happy to be there ever. It’s about winning. It’s about winning. Think about uh last year. They they stunk last year when they were in Nashville and they play like crap down the stretch and Joe Burrow is screaming at Zack Taylor on the sideline saying it’s bleeping BS and it was and I praise Joe for that if you remember. I praise Joe. I loved it. The Bengals need that Joe. I’m not saying it’s going to be the the most healthy mentally healthy Joe Burrow and have everything in perspective. I don’t need Joe Bro to have Joe Flacco’s perspective when it comes to some of these losses. And it it it weirdly felt that way, like almost acceptance. And he talked about putting on a show, and he said that multiple times. He said, quote, “That’s how the cookie crumbles.” And he said that two different times. He talked about T. Higgins’s popup game, which is something you do after a win, not a loss. All of these things that are fine to say at times, the pop-up game. That’s how the cookie crumbles. But this was the season on the line. You win that game, you have an 11% chance of the playoffs. You’re two games behind the Steelers. You’re a game behind the Ravens. And if you beat the Ravens, you you are ahead of the Ravens now in the AFC North and the Steelers. I don’t think anyone even after Sunday thinks the Steelers are that good. Even though they should win the division now, they don’t stub their toe. That’s the bottom line is that was a heartbreaking loss. And it felt like Joe was already accepting, maybe even broken. And I don’t mean broken as in not going to go out there and work hard and put everything into it and all of those things, but I mean mentally saying, “Yeah, I’m just happy to be out there.” Like, no. No. The Bengals don’t need that. They need the Joe Burrow that thinks that he’s honestly the same Joe that was working his butt off behind the scenes and everybody that watches every day or or on locked on Bengals or listens here it same thing. It’s the same thing I talked about. I knew he was busting his butt behind the scenes. But after a game like that, it he felt like or it felt like based on what he was saying that he was kind of accepting of what they are and who they are. And that might be the the best scenario from a oh well I have that perspective Joe and no I don’t need my soon to be 29-year-old quarterback who hasn’t made the playoffs in three seasons to be acceptant of that. And hopefully that was just his mood and mindset after the game. And right now as I record this he’s pissed off, angry, mad, motivated. And the same Joe that I know that would say, “All right, you you don’t think I can lift up that house to get a win? Well, I’m gonna lift up the house to get a win. I’m gonna carry the house by myself.” Like, that’s what they need. That’s what this organization needs. We’ve spent a ton of this season talking about the flaws. Well, the one guy that, yeah, he threw a couple of picks on Sunday and you can argue how much of it was his fault versus not, how much it was a good player, not doesn’t matter. That mentality is needed at Por Stadium. That mentality of this is how we’re going to do it. we’re going to it after the Raiders playoff win, they snap the streak and he’s like, “Well, this is who we are now.” I’m not sure anyone really believed that’s who they were. And he’s like, “This is who they are now.” And then they go to Super Bowl 56. A year later, they rattle off 10 straight and they make it to the AFC Championship game. And you could argue that whether it’s injuries or whether it’s a play here, play there, they could have easily went to back-to-back Super Bowls. That was a lifetime ago. And I know he needs to keep that same mentality. if this organization, if this franchise, if this coaching staff or not, even if it’s a new coaching staff, is going to make it get to that level, which is really, really hard to do. And we said it in the moment, how tough it is. Better take advantage of this opportunity when you have it. All the flaws, all of the issues, the one thing that can’t be the case, you cannot, I repeat, you cannot have a Joe Burrow. That’s man, I’m just happy to be out there. You know, that’s been a struggle, but I I’ve grown and matured and understood the position we find ourselves in. I I hate that. I like there are going to be people that say, “Oh, yeah, mature Joe. F that. I don’t want mature Joe. I want Joe that is just seething because he can’t believe they blew a game against the Buffalo Bills. That’s it. That’s what I want. And a lot of you are going to disagree with this, and that’s fine. But that to me is a big that’s a big thing, man, to have a a Joe Burrow. That’s I that’s the struggle that we’ve had for the past couple of years. I’ve grown and matured and understood the position we find ourselves in. Certainly last two weeks have shown me a lot. I’m I’m just happy to be out there. I’m just happy to be out there. No, no, no, no. I get it. You can be grateful for being back. It’s two different things because I understand well I don’t understand but I get why he would say that we want to win games and we want to be in the playoffs and do everything we say we’re capable of doing. We were 3 and8 at that point and that’s certainly not a playoff caliber position to be in. I remember before Joe came back, this is before the Patriots game when I stood on the table and said play him, I was texting with someone that knows Joe pretty well and I was like this dude thinks he’s going to go seven and0 down the stretch, doesn’t he? And they were like, “Yeah, you know, you know, that’s how he’s thinking.” And it it’s just for to go from that to to this. Like I I what is going on? What’s what what’s he seeing? I don’t think it’s just matur. If it is maturing, then I want a little less maturity, right? Because I want the guy that thinks that he’s going to move mountains because that’s what it’s going to take. Like getting to the Super Bowl. He was so They didn’t know where they were necessarily in the moment. They were so irrational like, “Yeah, this of course this is what we’re doing. This is what we should do. This is what we came here to do. You you want some of that still because if you think about it in the moment, man, it’s going to be really really hard.” And put it in perspective. Sometimes you don’t need perspective and you don’t want that. You can reflect on it later. Sort of concerned there. Sort of concerned about that mindset. And not that he’s not working. It’s nothing to do with work or anything like that. I just think from a franchise mentality standpoint, I genuinely wonder if they can win with a a Joe Burrow that’s quote grown and matured and understood the position we find ourselves in. You know that. And now maybe he thinks because he’s coming in midstream that’s tough to to just be dejected and all of those things. And I I fine, but my oh my, they need the the Joe that is like, “All right, well, that mountain needs to be put here and this house needs to be put here. I can do it. Let’s go. Sack me 52 times in Nashville. We’re still going to win that game and I’m going to make the throw to Jamar Chase to get us into field goal range.” That’s what they need. And obviously, he made a ton of plays. I’m not saying that. It has nothing to do with that his ability. I just that mentality part of it. You wonder if he’s being bangalized is the the word the the the the description that’s used. And I waited 10 minutes uh over 10 minutes to get to it. Is he being bangalized? That that would be my concern. By the way, this video, this show is brought to you by Christian Husky of Sipsy Klein Realtors. He had to suffer through that fourth quarter in the final five minutes of that fourth quarter at Highark Stadium in Buffalo. And uh he’s a huge Bengals fan. And if you’re looking for real estate advice, you got to get with Christian Husky. See uh sipsline.com/husky. He’s going to give you all the guidance you need. Whether you’re looking to find your forever home, whether you’re downsizing, maybe you’re you’re trying to to see, ah, when’s a good time to put my house on the market? What should I do to my house to get it on the market, he can help you. Sips.com/husky. I talk about win-win athletics a lot, and the Bengals treated Josh Allen like it was flag football on Sunday. Well, if you want the best flag football gear on the planet, win-winathletics.com is where you need to go. Use code cbt10. You’ll get 10% off their flag football kit is amazing. And actually, now that I think about it, the Bengals wouldn’t have even been in range of pulling Josh Allen’s flag on the 40-yard touchdown run or the 17 yard clinching run. Regardless, you got to get to winathletics.com today. Use code cbt. I just don’t want Joe Bro to be bangalized, man. and and I was there for the Carson trajectory and how it happened and they drafted him in 03. It’s kind of a lost year. Same like Joe Bro last year. 04 wasn’t fully ready. 05 was the equivalent to 2021 and and it’s a breakout year and you’re super it’s super promising and all of those things. Obviously Carson got hurt. Joe didn’t get hurt until uh the well he got nicked up but not seriously hurt until the Super Bowl when he had the MCL issue. But the point is the same. You don’t want to go down this path where that was your high point and it it just gets worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. And you also don’t want to hold on to everything. And so when I think about the Bengals and their mentality and and what they’ve been, I just think they need the Joe Burrow that is willing to do, not just willing to do, but says what needs to be said. And maybe he just realizes that this 2025 team isn’t it and he’s having different conversations behind the scenes, but I don’t know that and I can’t bank on that. And so we’ll see there. We’ll see. I I do have some stats for you that are just unbelievable. I I I got to be honor in games after the Thursday night game. So after the Bengals play a Thursday night game, Zack Taylor is 06 and one the following week. And if you think about it, the Bengals, they beat the Steelers earlier this year. They’re three and four. They play the Jets. They blow a double- digit halftime lead and lose with on 10 days rest. This year, huge win over the Ravens. season back, season alive. Go to Buffalo, blow multiple double- digit leads, including a 10-point lead with eight minutes to go after you score a touchdown. And 06 and one is Zack Taylor on games following a Thursday night game. Just something that’s just wild and unacceptable. The Bengals are 4-7 over the past two seasons when scoring 33 points or more. The rest of the NFL is 13610 and two. 13610 and two. I I put all of these stats on on banglestock.com. my guy Jake Liscoco, Paul Dana Jr., J Morrison, all three of them came up with these. Uh, so shout out to those guys. But it’s uh it’s just wild, wild to think of. And there’s other stats that I put on bangles.com as well. So check that out. But crazy crazy. You got Joe Burrow saying he’s happy to be here and cookie crumbles. Like that’s insane to me. That’s ins I’m just happy to be here. That dude doesn’t say that after a game of Call of Duty. I’m just happy to be here. No, I want to kick your ass. It’s what I want, right? And so that uh that’s just worth noting. And I want to point it out because it may end up being nothing. It might not or maybe something. And it feels like it’s something because I I I can’t really remember a time where Joe Burrow with the stakes like that talked that way outside of maybe season ending type, you know, after the Super Bowl 56 loss, after the loss to Kansas City where it felt like they were going to win. Like that’s different cuz the season’s ending and you’re starting to be reflective. This is different because they’re still technically a chance and he noted that, but still bit concerning. We’re going to have you covered. Win, lose, draw. Like I said, doesn’t matter. Enter the jungle on Tuesday night. If there’s any news between now and then, of course, we got you covered here on Cincinnati Bengals Talk. For more on the Bengals, check out bengalalk.com. Until next time for Andrew Fox Miller, I’m James. Thank you so much for watching and listening to Cincinnati Bengals Talk. [Music]

The Cincinnati Bengals blew a winnable game against the Bills, and Joe Burrow’s postgame mindset is perhaps even more concerning. Instead of being visibly angry or fired up to fight for the playoffs, Burrow said things like he was “just happy to be out there” and “that’s how the cookie crumbles.”

Is Burrow starting to accept the situation? Has the fire dimmed? James Rapien breaks down what Burrow said, why it matters, and how his tone signals a concerning shift. Plus, shocking stats about Zac Taylor’s teams after Thursday Night Football…

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29 comments

  2. Joe knows this team isn’t good enough. Wouldn’t be surprised if and when he asks for a trade so he can go win a couple rings with a competent front office and a more complete team instead of this circus he’s thrown in. It’s not fair to Joe to have to play Superman and put the whole damn team on his back!!!

  4. Chill out. Mental recovery and competitive drive lag physical ability to perform after significant injury. We have absolutely nothing to worry about on this front. Joe Burrow is hardwired to be the ultimate competitor.

  5. He probably tired of the Bengals bullshit and wants out, WHO CAN BLAME HIM .??? Or Ja'mar or Tee. The Bengals better get their shit together or there going to lose the entire fan base when Burrow leaves Cincinnati, and it's coming.

  7. I think hes mad at himself for the two INT’s. In his head that game was won until that happened. That’s hard for him to compute. How can he say anything to anyone else when his INT changed the entire game

  9. Really he realized his two picks – is the difference in the game – no Ill take humility and class – you screw and blame the coach really — maybe he knows the D isn’t good enough but sees that signing
    3 franchise offensive players to long term deals and the D player he wanted has sat out 3 straight with an injury and it’s Tobin s drafting is the real problem on defense— so if you don’t see him seething inside because we lost because of him and the D facing one of the best offenses almost was good enough

  12. Look I love me some Joe Burriw but this offseason he demanded on national tv and said we should pay tee mos definitely Ja’Marr Gesicki and Trey no wonder why we don’t have a defense 🤷🏽‍♀️

  13. We use to get other fan bases saying he's going to leave. I'm starting to agree. He wants to win a Championship it won't happen with this team with this ownership team.

  15. James, Joe's attitude is a direct reflection of the team's leadership. . . Zac Taylor. Bengalized – Yes!! I've been watching this happen to great players since the 80's. Unfortunately, Joe will be no different.

  16. Zac Taylor's situational play calling is horrendous, why would he risk throwing a pass to the Buffalo RedZone with the team up 28 to 25 and a chance to go up by six and much less time on the clock for Buffalo, I will never understand that! I have watched Zac Taylor's situational play calling since he's been the coach, but it's horrendous and the defense is horrible Cedric Johnson gets a huge sack , and I believe that he was taken out of the game!!! If I was the defense coordinator the guys who are making plays would stay on the field!!! But Zac Taylor needs to go he is not good at crucial situational play calling, he throws sh—t against the wall and hope it sticks!!! And Al Golden is no defensive genius!!!

  18. maybe a unpopular opinion, the whole bengals team should be fined or fired for letting Tee Higgons back on the field last week. He hit the ground and grabbing his head after his head smacked the turf…either care about player safety or you don't. Did I want him out there…YES…that's why the rule is in place. Don't matter if it's a close game or not. and why is no one reporting on this!!!

  19. He’s your Bengals hero. He’s the anti to all that’s wrong with Bengals organization. If he loses hope where to you have to go then for your hope. Which is sad btw. Everyone gets mentally tired. It’s exhausting being angry and defiant like you want him to be. You want him to lift the franchise out of mediocrity because you don’t see anyone else who can do it. Give him a break. Let him be human for a while instead of your super hero.

  21. Rooting for this team isn’t fun anymore. It’s not entertaining with an amazing offense, just knowing that your defense is about as restrictive as a wet paper bag.

    Haven’t gone to a game since 2022, when the team started caring more about a salary cap rather than actually competing for a title.

    I’m at the point where I hope Burrow leaves, because fuck this team.

    Fuck Zac Taylor, and fuck the Browns for keeping him as coach for 6 years.

    You finally have a HOF level QB and ownership has pissed on his head.

    Fuck this

  22. He has the mentality all you’re doing is bitching and moaning about his mentality. He ain’t gonna have no problem going out there with it. Taylor has made terrible choices throughout the season. Anybody with this offense could call great plays we need a defense that can clutch up

  25. That's why I said to you last week James just because Joe borough came back and won a game doesn't mean we made the playoffs so don't get excited about him winning that one game remember me saying that and you must have you must have thought we were in the playoffs just cuz he come back and won one game so that's your fault for believing that we were in the playoffs by that one win last week

  27. Thanks to Fandual and all the betting that is going on has killed the NFL. All just to make a point spread. I had not watch football in yaars until I watch Joe in the SB and starting watching him because he was a local boy raised in Athens Ohio. Betting has killed all sports. Again we all know it about the money.

  28. THERE IS NOTHING TO HE EXCITED ABOUT IF IM BURROW. WORST FRONT OFFICE IN THE LEAGUE THAT REFUSES TO INVEST IN THE DEFENSE TO GIVE HIM A FIGHTING CHANCE TO ACTUALLY WIN SB. IF I AM HIM I WOULD ASK TO BE TRADED. Same old shit every year….

  29. Every disgruntled Bengals star reach this cross roads. Fans will turn on him if/when he wants out…just like with Corey, Boomer, Palmer, Whit (to some extent). They got pissed when T.O. said "…it goes from the top down).
    I hope for the biggest come back and return to the big game. This ownership group does just enough…then stops building upon that.

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