The Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, but it wasn’t for a lack of history being made.

In an otherwise frustrating 22-17 defeat, Joe Burrow and Evan McPherson each added their names to the Bengals’ record book.

Burrow did it three times. McPherson did it with a field goal.

And while neither milestone can make up for another loss, both are reminders of just how important the two players have become to Cincinnati.

Joe Burrow keeps rewriting Bengals’ record books

Burrow entered Sunday needing six completions to reach 2,000 for his career. He got there quickly.

The Bengals quarterback became just the second player in NFL history, joining Patrick Mahomes, to reach 2,000 completions in his first 81 career games. Then he kept going.

Burrow finished 39/54 for 428 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, while adding a rushing touchdown. The 428 yards were a season high and helped him climb another spot on the Bengals’ all-time passing lists.

With 39 completions, Burrow pushed his career total to 2,033, passing both Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer for third place in franchise history.

Only Ken Anderson and Andy Dalton are ahead of him now. For a quarterback who has played just 81 regular-season games, that’s quite a climb.

And Burrow wasn’t finished.

His 428-yard performance marked his 29th career 300-yard passing game, breaking his tie with Dalton for the most in Bengals history.

Think about that company for a moment. Anderson. Esiason. Palmer. Dalton.

Burrow has now passed them all in at least one significant franchise passing category. Of course, he’d probably trade every one of those milestones for a win.

The two interceptions and Cincinnati’s inability to finish the comeback mattered far more than the numbers when the final score read 22-17. Still, it’s becoming harder to talk about Burrow’s Bengals career without talking about the record book.

He’s not just approaching those records anymore. He’s taking them.

Even McPherson ties Bengals record

Burrow wasn’t the only Bengal making history.

McPherson’s 29-yard field goal in the second quarter extended his streak to 21 consecutive made field goals, tying Shayne Graham’s franchise record from 2007.

McPherson’s last miss came in Week 9 of the 2025 season against Chicago. Since then, every field-goal attempt has gone through.

And this isn’t simply a streak built on short kicks. McPherson entered Sunday leading the NFL with five makes from 50-plus yards this season and fresh off AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors for September.

Now he’s matched one of the longest-standing kicking records in Bengals history. One more make, and it’s his.

History is nice: Wins are better

That’s what makes Sunday so frustrating for Cincinnati.

Burrow reached 2,000 career completions. He moved into third place on the Bengals’ all-time completions list. He broke Dalton’s franchise record for 300-yard passing games.

McPherson tied Graham’s record with 21 consecutive made field goals. And the Bengals still lost.

Those accomplishments will matter when the history of these players’ careers is eventually written. Right now, though, they’re footnotes to a 2-2 record and a team searching for answers after consecutive losses.

The Bengals have the quarterback capable of rewriting their record book. They have a kicker putting together one of the best streaks in franchise history.

Now they need those individual accomplishments to start producing something more important.

Because Burrow can keep climbing the record book. McPherson can keep extending his streak. But eventually, Cincinnati needs the scoreboard to tell a better story, too.