10-01-2023, 06:04 PM
(10-01-2023, 05:50 PM)TKUHL Wrote: I was screaming for this team to start the season with a backup. Didn’t think we stood any chance against Cleveland regardless if Joe played or not. But now they have themselves in a pickle. Interested to see if we bench him next week, or just keep pushing him through it. We sat him for over a month and it didn’t do any good. If he gets benched it will have to be at least till them bye, and that still may not be enough time.
We are struggling so damn bad not only to win but we are struggling just to get first downs. It’s obvious the calf is limiting Burrow drastically but it almost seems like there’s something else going on. I don’t see any good coming from playing him now. Even if he was just rusty from no pre season, he should have his feet under him by now but he dosent. He’s playing scared but more importantly he’s making bad decisions. That’s what has me worried the most. Get him out, it’s going to ruin him. He’s going to cause some arm/shoulder damage too throwing the ball using more upper body strength than he should.
People are just being way too short term about this in my opinion. Joe Burrow will be the Bengals QB until he retires, or leaves for somewhere else.
Nobody wants to tank a season or have to hope for success next year, but from Week 1 my opinion was that we should risk a slow start if it means Burrow gets more rest and potentially gets back to 100% more quickly. I do believe in this team's ability to make the playoffs from 0-4, if they are playing as they can.
Instead we've played him every game, and he looks absolutely awful. People can say 'well rest might not help the calf any further'... people are forgetting that by being a statue in the pocket, he's subject to further risk of a further injury. I dont have a clue as to why we'd want to risk the QB of the next decade taking unneeded punishment, ESPECIALLY when the payoff of playing him (i.e. his ability to be a great QB) simply isn't present right now. He can't seriously be showing much in practice to suggest he's back to normal... so I don't for the life of me get why we're playing him. He looks about 10% of the QB he was last year, it's not like he's 'getting there'.
Instead, we're in a position where we're now just hoping he's better by next week. It was real bad luck that he got the injury in the first place, but we've done little other than shoot ourselves in the feet since, as far as the QB is concerned. I absolutely think Burrow shares some of this blame, as he must know he isn't ready to be playing, but any competitor will try and get out there and play. ZT needs to rest him, it'll be a month late doing so though.
