Joe Burrow : An MVP season surrounded by failure
Joe Burrow leads the league in passing yards, touchdowns and has just four interceptions. However, the Cincinnati Bengals are 4-7.
The Bengals quarterback has been playing lights out this season, arguably his best season. However, his team stand with a very small chance of making the playoffs. With two games against the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 6-5 Denver Broncos, there is every chance this Cincinnati team finishes the 2024 campaign with at least ten losses. But how has this happened?
Let’s take a look at how Burrow has had an MVP season but has been surrounded by failure
Defense wins championships
There is an old saying in the NFL, that has been going around for years. “Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships”. No team has defined that more this season than the Bengals.
In years gone by, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been praised for his schemes and ability to adjust mid-game. No game defined this more than their AFC Championship win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Down 21-10 at halftime, they turned things around and Evan McPherson’s 31-yard field goal in overtime saw them win the game 27-24 and reach their first Super Bowl since the 1988 season and their third in history.
They may have lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. However, things were looking up for the franchise. They reached the AFC title game a year later and arguably should have won the game but it has been underwhelming in the two seasons that have followed this loss.
Ending the season with a winning record despite Burrow being injured for the majority, there was excitement for the fans despite missing the playoffs. If they almost made the postseason with Jake Browning, then just imagine what they could have done with a fully healthy Burrow. Many had the Bengals as their picks to win the AFC as a result of this.
However, it has been a disaster of a season for the Bengals, especially on defense.
Burrow has nine touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens this season and is 0-2 against them. However, the Steelers beat the Ravens without scoring a touchdown.
They scored 25 points against the Chiefs, 34 and 38 respectively against the Ravens, 33 against the Washington Commanders and 27 against the Los Angeles Chargers. They did not win any of these games. This is largely down to their defense.
They have allowed the ninth most yards per game and the fifth most points per game. Only three out of their first 11 games have seen them concede less than 20 points and they have conceded 30 points or more in six games in 2024.
Burrow cannot physically do anything more. This defense will be the thing that costs him any future Super Bowl appearances unless drastic actions are made. They need a big offseason.
What a difference the finer details make
The Bengals have had problems, but it is not as if they have been blown out in games. In their seven losses, they have lost by five points or more in four of these. The other three losses saw a margin of defeat of six (Week One vs the Patriots), 20 (Week Eight vs the Philadelphia Eagles) and seven (Week 11 vs the Chargers) respectively.
This is a good team that is just missing the finer details. There have also been problems in the kicking game, with Evan MacPherson struggling this year.
He missed two field goals in their seven-point loss to the Chargers in Week 11. However, the final drive or two could have been very different if all they needed was three points. McPherson also missed a crucial field goal as time expired during their first meeting with the Ravens this season, one they lost in overtime.
He also missed a field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Two, despite converting the other four, as they lost by one point. They could be sitting here with a 7-4 record, not 4-7. They would surely be seen as a Super Bowl contender and Burrow the MVP favourite.
Instead, they are likely to miss the playoffs and Burrow is potentially having the greatest season no one will remember.