Joe Burrow has faced the brutal side of the NFL this season. After a tough injury last year, the Bengals would have had their eyes on the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Instead, they find themselves at 4-8, hoping for a late turnaround to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Rich Eisen asked Bengals coach Zac Taylor about his conversations with Burrow on “The Rich Eisen Show“: “Do you have conversations with him to make sure that he’s not mentally or emotionally going to places that you rarely see him go to?” Taylor answered in the affirmative praising Burrow on his leadership and influence saying, “I speak to him as much as I speak to anyone else in the building. He’s got power in a lot of ways…seeing how he responds can elevate the guys around him, and he’s done an excellent job understanding that from a leadership standpoint and trying to get the most out of everybody around him.” Reflecting on this, the Bengals HC encouraged the entire team to rise to that standard, urging, “We need everyone to continue to try to match that.”

The Bengals have lost games they were expected to win, as well as those where they were favored. They lost 26-25 to Patrick Mahomes‘s Chiefs at home in Week 2. Chiefs’ Harrison Butker’s 51-yard field goal sealed the win after Bengals’ Evan McPherson’s 52-yard effort had given them a late 2-point lead. In Week 3, the Commanders playing away stunned the Bengals 38-33. Their defense put stops on the Bengals’ touchdown drives thrice in the first half. Zac Taylor’s defensive squad’s struggles also factored in to produce a 5-point loss. Joe Burrow threw for 324 yards, totaling 570 yards over those two games.

To add to the Bengals’ agony, their defense has let them down in the last 3 games. Burrow has thrown more than 300 yards scoring 3 touchdowns without winning any game. The Bengals’ defense allowed 34+ points in those games. This extended their streak of conceding more than 30 points to six consecutive games.

The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner has stood tall in arguably the toughest campaign of his career. Despite the Bengals’ struggles, Burrow has remained consistent, though it hasn’t fully reflected in the team’s 4-8 record. His contributions go beyond the box score and thus demand a closer look.

Joe Burrow Remains Hopeful In An Individually Improved Season

At 4-8, the Bengals’ playoff hopes may be dim, but Burrow’s performance has been a bright spot this season. Actually, they have been a step up from the last season. Joe Burrow has consistently showcased his elite skillset with multiple 300+ yard games. His season stats speak for themselves.

Joe Burrow’s 2024 QB rating of 73.9 is his career’s best. With 30 touchdowns this season, he is on pace to surpass his 2021 career-high of 35. He averages 7.5 yards per attempt and a 107.4 passer rating, up from 6.3 and 91.0 last season. On the ground, the 2020 No. 1 pick has rushed for 160 yards (his second-best after 2022’s 257), averaging a career-best 4.8 yards per game, to go along with a career-best 47-yard run.

The former LSU Tiger acknowledged the immense pressure of needing near-perfect performances after the team fell 4-8 following the loss to the Steelers. “I feel the pressure on me to be great. That is part of playing QB in the NFL. I have to play to the absolute peak of my ability each week to go and win,” said Burrow. Despite scoring 30 touchdowns and just five interceptions this season, his brilliance has yet to be fully utilized, though he remains hopeful the defense will step up when needed.