The Cincinnati Bengals got the worst news possible on Friday coming out of the loss to the Baltimore Ravens that dropped them to 5-5.
There, an MRI confirmed ligament damage on the injured wrist of Joe Burrow, putting a premature end to his 2023 season. As things stand now, it seems surgery is likely.
That leaves the offense in the hands of Jake Browning for the foreseeable future and the team will attempt to really around him over the next week or so before a game against Pittsburgh on November 26.
Here’s a look at the must-know Bengals news, notes and quotes for November 18.
Joe Burrow lost for season -- Bengals Wire
The initial writeup on the Burrow injury, which was announced by Bengals coach Zac Taylor in a presser. There, he revealed an MRI showed the ligament damage and stressed the commitment to backup Jake Browning.
Burrow's surgery and long-term impact -- Bengals Wire
Maybe one of the most important comments from Taylor on the Burrow injury was the idea that while surgery sounds likely, it isn’t typically something that has long-term ramifications for the player.
Burrow comments on injury -- Bengals Wire
While Taylor was talking with the media, Burrow was in the building working with quarterbacks like Browning before heading out to a presser of his own. There, he touched on this, saying that his role now is to support the guys as best he can.
Ravens players defend Logan Wilson -- Bengals Wire
Logan Wilson came under fire from media and otherwise for his involvement in plays that got Ravens injured. But those Ravens players were quick to defend him after the game.
Taylor defends Wilson -- Bengals Wire
Taylor interrupted the end of his presser on Friday to defend Wilson, saying that some were “reckless” to paint a narrative in the media about Wilson. The full comments are worth a watch.
Jake Browning on the role reversal -- Bengals.com
Backup Jake Browning on how Burrow helped him through the sudden playing time on Thursday night: “I was kind of switching roles, where I was like, ‘Damn I wish I would have done this.’ [Joe Burrow] was like, I think you threw it to the right guy, and it was an accurate ball.’ So, it was kind of like a reassurance; it was kind of like role reversal, where [Joe Burrow] was saying, ‘You’re playing well, and keep moving around, and stuff like that.’ It was good. It was how you would expect from [Joe Burrow]. He’s pretty self-aware and tried to do everything he can to help us out. But unfortunately, we couldn’t get it done.”
Taylor talks about his defense -- Bengals.com
Taylor talked about the defense, another up-and-down area of his team: “I think there were some positive things I saw from the defense. This is a good offense. They can extend plays with their quarterback. Some of them were probably good calls. Some of those penalties extended drives, and that’s the way it is. Now we’ve got to buckle up. We’ve got to get them in good third-down positions. Some of those drives got extended, and they scored points. Our guys got to find a way to keep competing downfield. It’s a challenge. So, again, I know we are disappointed with the loss, but I’m not discouraged about where this season is headed after this game. These guys are going to stick together. We’re going to take the long weekend here and regroup and get ready for Pittsburgh next week.”
Taylor on what Browning brings to the offense -- Bengals.com
Taylor on Browning and how the gameplan might change: “I feel really comfortable he can do all the things we ask our guys to do in our offense. So, it doesn’t take anything off the table. Obviously, you want to continue to play to his strengths. You continue to change conversations from, Hey, Joe, what do you like in the plan,’ to more, ‘Hey, Jake, what do you feel most comfortable about in these situations?’ That’s the only thing that really changes within the scope of our offense. Everything stays on the table. “
