Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made some pointed comments after his team’s loss to the Washington Commanders on Monday night.
There was some of the typical must improve, lots of games left sort of stuff.
But one comment veered away from the usual and is quite interesting. Burrow told reporters that he needed to evaluate his approach as a leader in the locker room.
“There will be some critical thinking I’ll have to do to see what kind of leader I want to be going forward,” Burrow said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, “and what I feel like the team needs from me going forward.”
No further elaboration, but it’s hard for outsiders not to wonder what they might mean.
At least on the field, Burrow was elite in terms of efficiency metrics against the Commanders, completing 29 of his 38 attempts with 324 yards and a trio of touchdown passes. There were some redzone hiccups that showed up big in a five-point loss, but the offense also stretched the field deep and got good play from an offensive line now starting first-rounder Amarius Mims.
Based on the comments, though, it’s reasonable to wonder about the problems facing the Bengals. An 0-3 start, which is a historically bad hole to be in, forces reevaluation. The next month or so will reveal how Burrow’s leadership changes, if any, help move things in a positive direction.
