One of the criticisms of the Patriots and their 9-2 start to this NFL season is the fact that their schedule has been especially putrid here in the first two-plus months of the season. And that’s hard to argue–the Patriots are rated No. 32 in strength of schedule and have, really, two good wins (on the road over Buffalo and Tampa Bay) and one decent one (the home blowout of the Panthers that started the team’s eight-game winning streak).
Heading into Cincinnati on Sunday, it appeared to be much the same thing. The Bengals are 3-7 and, in typical Bengals fashion, they lost their top offensive player, Ja’Marr Chase, to a suspension for spitting. That, combined with the worst defense in the NFL, seemed to set up the Patriots for another softie on Sunday.
But then there was a curveball: Star quarterback Joe Burrow, out since Week 2 after having had toe surgery, was determined to be way ahead of schedule, and Bengals coach Zac Taylor would not name a starter, leaving the possibility for Burrow to make a stunning early return against the Patriots.
Joe Burrow Was Questionable for Patriots
The Bengals went so far as to list Burrow, a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time Comeback Player of the Year winner, as questionable on Friday, bringing the whole weird saga to a head.
“We’ll take the time we’ve got, assess all the practice we’ve had this week,” coach Zac Taylor told reporters Friday, via ESPN. “He’s done everything he can to try to put himself and get ready to go. Now I have to make a decision on what we do.”
And at last, ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline to make Burrow active or not, the Bengals have decided: According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “#Bengals QB Joe Burrow, attempting to come back just over two months after surgery to repair Grade 3 turf toe, won’t be moved to the active roster just yet, source said. He’ll remain on IR. Joe Flacco starts, once again. But Burrow’s time is coming.”
Joe Flacco Solid Replacing Joe Burrow
So the Patriots can go to sleep tonight knowing they won’t see Burrow in his big return on Sunday. That, however, is not definitely a good thing. In Burrow’s place, the Bengals traded for veteran Joe Flacco, who is batting a shoulder issue but has been very good in place of Burrow in five games–he has thrown for 1,453 yards on 135-for-213 passing, with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Bengals are 1-4 in those games, but they’ve averaged 28.6 points. It’s not Flacco’s fault they’ve been losing, which is why Burrow’s return might not have made much difference for the Patriots.
Patriots Approach Did not Change Much
Before leaving for Cincinnati, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said that he did not think the Bengals were engaging in gamesmanship with the Burrow news–and added that it probably would not have affected their approach either way if he had started.
“I mean, the stuff that they’ve always done and will do is going to remain the same. Joe’s [Burrow] probably, or is, more mobile than what Joe [Flacco] is. Both are going to run the same concepts and the same plays and look to try to get the ball in the same places.
“I would imagine that Joe [Burrow] being a little younger, he’s going to be a little bit more mobile, but we’ll have to be ready for whatever happens Sunday.”
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