After the Cincinnati Bengals improved to a two-win streak with their Week 17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the question was obvious: will this spark continue? With a 6-10 record, Cincy has already been eliminated from the playoffs. So that made the case for head coach Zac Taylor to bench his franchise quarterback Joe Burrow in the season finale. But that’s not happening.

The decision is official. Coach Taylor has confirmed that Burrow will be suiting up for the season finale at Paycor Stadium against the Cleveland Browns. No bubble wrap, no rest day. Taylor isn’t backing down. And the idea behind this move is simple: finish the season with a win.

Week 17 seems to have delivered a fresh chapter in that regard. Against the Cardinals, Burrow was clinical. He went 24/31 for 305 yards and two touchdowns and no picks. Add two more rushing scores by Ja’Marr Chase, and the 37-14 beat down takes shape. The Bengals had already put up 37 points on the board before the fourth quarter, and the team actually handed the reins to backup Joe Flacco to run the offense for the final stretch.

Burrow now has 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season despite a turf toe injury marring his early season campaign. He has been elite and hungry for wins since returning, despite the team’s overall struggles. Playing him one more time won’t be about padding stats though. It will be about pride.

One more game means one more chance to fine-tune timing with receivers, test concepts and build chemistry heading into a critical offseason. And to do that against a Browns defense that held the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 6 points in their 10-6 victory of Week 17 will be the perfect test.

And this decision from coach Taylor goes far beyond football strategy. Right now, it’s about showing everyone that this team doesn’t quit even when the scoreboard doesn’t matter.

Zac Taylor’s Week 18 pledge: playing for pride

Head coach Zac Taylor wants his squad to honor the home crowd one last time this season. For that, his message to the locker room, and to Cincy, if to finish with dignity.

“We want to finish this off the right way,” Taylor said in his Week 17 post game presser. “Important to play well in front of our home fans.”

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This statement captures everything about Taylor’s approach in Cincy. The Bengals faithful have shown up all season despite the disappointments, and they deserve to see their team compete with full effort in the home finale. The Bengals have already shown their energy to Paycor this week by demolishing Arizona. Now, they’ve got to do it again. And what’s more, it’s something the home crowd has seen before.

Back in the 2023 season, Cincy faced the Browns in Week 18 without any playoff implications. But Taylor had marveled at the turnout. “The turnout today was really awesome, and the support we’ve gotten from them all year. It’s a game where the playoffs are not on the line, it’s cold, and every excuse not to be here,” Taylor had admitted. “It was really appreciated by us and the team to see that.”

And now, he expects a similar energy from the crowd as well as his team. “Gratifying part for me is that the team has maintained high energy,” Taylor said in his Week 17 presser. “That’s all we can control right now.”

Beyond Week 18 lies months of evaluation, roster decisions and offseason questions about building a contender around Joe Burrow. But those conversations can wait. First comes one final opportunity to show pride and professionalism. The Bengals aren’t quitting, and neither is their quarterback.