Bengals postgame wrap following loss to Ravens
Enquirer beat writer Kelsey Conway breaks down the Bengals’ 24-0 loss to the Ravens on Dec. 14.
Winning is all that matters down the stretch for the Cincinnati Bengals. Even with Cincinnati eliminated from playoff contention, all other issues are considered secondary as far head coach Zac Taylor is concerned.
Game-plan tweaks and sitting starters isn’t off the table, but quarterback Joe Burrow will remain the team’s starter with three remaining games, Taylor said during a Dec. 15 news conference at Paycor Stadium. Winning is still the No. 1 priority after Cincinnati was shut out by the Baltimore Ravens 24-0 a day earlier and fell to 4-10.
Asked specifically about the quarterback’s status for the rest of the season, Taylor said Burrow would continue to start “because we want to win.”
Other players’ continued presence as starters would be considered on a case-by-case basis, Taylor said. Taylor also didn’t rule out experimenting with the team’s offensive style over its final three games but reiterated the bottom line is winning.
“There’s a balance there (with tinkering), certainly, but number one, we just want to win,” Taylor said. “The most important thing is finding a way to win this game (Dec. 21 vs. Miami) and creating positive energy for our guys in the locker room and for our coaching staff and everyone associated with this. And so that takes the priority over anything.
“Any personnel question, any scheme question − that’s a fair question because there are things that you want to maybe take a peek at and see if you can be better at, but the number one priority would be, ‘what do we have to do to win this game and be successful that way?’ Anything else will be secondary to that.”
The Bengals remaining games are against the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals (Dec. 28) and Cleveland Browns (Jan. 4).
Burrow has started just five games in 2025 − three after returning from a surgically repaired turf toe injury he sustained in Week 2.
During a Dec. 15 meeting with local reporters, Cincinnati offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said he wanted to see Burrow bounce back and be himself.
“Come out and play with confidence and distribute the football,” Pitcher said. “Make explosive plays when they present themselves, take care of the ball, all the things that make him the great player he is, and I think that’s what we’ll see.”
Burrow threw two interceptions against the Ravens and two against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Dec. 7. In both games, an interception was returned for a touchdown on critical fourth-quarter Bengals drives.
Burrow has been at the center of scrutiny since his Dec. 11 midweek news conference at Paycor Stadium in which he discussed the matter of fun in his career. That opened the door for discussion and commentary about whether or not his relationship with the Bengals was harmonious.
Asked post-game on Dec. 14 about the nature of his comments, Burrow said his words weren’t aimed at the Bengals.