In front of their home fans at Paycor Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals likely saw their playoff chances float away in the adjacent Ohio River.
The Bengals lost 44-38 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. It’s Cincinnati’s third consecutive loss and seventh defeat this season within one score.
‘We just haven’t executed the way we needed to,’ Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said to reporters. ‘I think every game is its own challenge, and each week has been frustrating in some way.’
Burrow tallied 309 passing yards and three touchdowns. It was the third game in a row that Burrow passed for more than 300 yards in a losing effort. But he did toss an interception and lost two fumbles in the defeat.
The Bengals star quarterback entered Week 13 tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes and top three in passing yards. While wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is on pace to lead the NFL in receiving yards and touchdown catches.
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However, Burrow and Chase’s stellar performances haven’t translated to many wins.
‘I have to play to the absolute peak of my ability every week for us to go and win,’ Burrow said. ‘Some games I’ve done that, some games I haven’t.’
Cincinnati only has a 4% chance to make the playoffs, per NFL Next Gen Stats playoff probability.
Burrow confidently proclaimed in January 2023 that the Bengals’ Super Bowl window is his whole career, but the team’s road to a championship this year appears to be closed, and it’s only going to get more difficult.
The Bengals dynamic trio of Burrow, Chase and Tee Higgins are presumably playing their final season together. Higgins is likely playing his last year in Cincinnati because the two sides have been unable to secure a long-term deal with the wideout. The Bengals have instead prioritized signing Chase to a lucrative extension, but they have yet to agree on a contract.
The positive news for the Bengals is, they still do have Burrow for the foreseeable future. However, they are going to have to retool around their franchise quarterback, particularly on the defensive side of the football. The Bengals have given up at least 34 points in six of their losses and came into Week 13 with the NFL’s 28th-ranked scoring defense.
‘Stick together (and) take accountability. We got good people in the locker room. It’s an emotional game, you know, especially in a divisional game like this, especially with where we’re at in the season,’ Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters postgame. ‘It’s normal for emotions to run high, but at the same time, just got to take accountability for anything we can and stick together and find a way to go find a win.
‘We just got to give ourselves some momentum. That’s three games in a row now that have all been one possession games. We haven’t done enough to earn the win. It’s as simple as that. It’s nobody else’s fault, but our own. We haven’t earned it.’