The Cincinnati Bengals have put all their chips on the table to end their playoff drought and reach another Super Bowl in the Joe Burrow era. Cincinnati spent money in free agency and hit the trade market to shore up their defense.
In the offseason, the Bengals signed Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook in free agency. Moreover, Cincinnati then traded its first-round pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence II.
As a result, the Bengals are looking to give Burrow a team that can get their QB back to the playoffs. Furthermore, Burrow has instilled a sense of urgency in the team to ensure they can reach the playoffs this season.
Former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis explains, from experience, why Burrow’s words can prompt action in Cincinnati.
“Joe knows the window of [Mike] Gesicki, Tee [Higgins] and [Ja’Marr] Chase is closing, okay, because they can’t keep everybody going forward,” Lewis said in an Aug. 26 video from “Inside Football.” “They’ve added the guys on defense, and now they just have to get the secondary to begin to play together, and they’ve got an opportunity.
“But I’m telling you, [Burrow’s] words trigger action. There’s no question in my mind, they trigger action, because that man loves quarterbacks and he wants to win in the worst way.”
Last season, Burrow played 478 total snaps for the Bengals, leading to a 91.8 overall PFF grade. Injury limited Burrow’s time on the field, but he still recorded 1,809 passing yards and 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. Moreover, he registered 18 big-time throws and two turnover-worthy plays.
Marvin Lewis on Bengals Way of Doing Business
Moreover, Lewis shed light on how the Bengals do business under owner Mike Brown and how Cincinnati would lose players in free agency rather than keep them and spend money to add to their team.
“Mike Brown doesn’t give a s–t about money,“ Lewis added. “All the money goes to the football team and that football team winning. The man has no outside habits other than reading big-ass thick books that I used to just look at on his desk or beside me on the plane.
“[Brown] just wants to win football games the way he wants to win. He doesn’t want to mortgage the franchise on one year, one player. He sees a three- or four-year projection, and that’s different than how some organizations work.
“But the other thing I want to say is when the thing happened with Carson Palmer, we lost John Joseph in free agency, we lost Andrew Whitworth in free agency. Every time something like that happens, it triggers another response from upstairs to do it a different way and try and figure out another way to do it.”
Bears HC Ben Johnson on Joe Burrow
Speaking of the Bengals star QB, on Aug. 20, Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke to the media and shared his blunt thoughts on Burrow.
“Oh, shoot; this guy is like a surgeon back there,“ Johnson told reporters before the Bears and Bengals joint practice. “From my perspective, at least, he’s got great pocket awareness. He can dissect defenses in a hurry. He recognizes coverages. He’s able to distribute the ball, and then he trusts the guys he’s got on the perimeter as well.
“We know the two guys on the outside. They’re probably the best duo in the business right now. When you look at it, he gives them a chance to make plays. This will be a great test for our defense right now with where we are and what we’re doing coverage-wise, to face an opponent like that.”
Former Bengals HC Marvin Lewis Makes Strong Joe Burrow Claim