The box score was stark. Joe Burrow went 14-of-23 for 113 yards during the 17-16 win against the Browns, took three sacks, and watched the Bengals produce just 141 total yards. The run game barely moved the needle, 23 carries for 46 yards, 2.0 yards per rush. And Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals’ $161 million wide receiver, the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, managed just two catches for 26 yards on five targets, his longest gain only 20. A quiet outing for a player who, in 2024 alone, racked up 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, part of a career total of 397 catches, 5,451 yards, and 46 touchdowns over 63 games. However, the opportunities were there.

A second-and-9 dart to Tee Higgins was forced out of bounds. A third-and-2 deep shot to Chase was swatted away by Greg Newsome. Another 37-yard bomb was overthrown by inches. These are the plays that usually define Burrow and Chase’s connection. Instead, drives stalled, points evaporated. Moreover, the QB didn’t pass the ball much to his star receiver. But Burrow isn’t asking for a return to normal; he’s promising a reset.

“You’ve got to go out and prove it,” he said. “We’ve made those plays in the past. We didn’t on Sunday. We have to go prove, once again, just like every year, every week that we can be those types of players to make big-time contested catches in those situations, myself included.” The message is simple. Burrow is going to set him as his WR1. And till now, Burrow has thrown passes to Chase over 300 times (approx) in their four years together. So, expect more passes to Chase in the coming games. Now, it’s the receiver’s turn to score those points.

Chase’s contract underscores the pressure. After signing a four-year, $161 million extension, he is expected to be the game-changer, the guy who forces defenses to respect every throw. Burrow himself has built a career of consistency, 70 starts, 19,114 passing yards, 141 touchdowns, 46 interceptions, and a 101.0 career passer rating. Together, they are one of the most dangerous QB-WR duos in the league.

On the other hand, Joe Burrow didn’t shy away from owning up to his mistakes. “We know they are going to play man coverage and give us one-on-one opportunities“, he said. “They have two of the best in man coverage and they are going to play it. End of the day, we have to make one-on-one plays in big-time spots.” So, next week, expect Burrow to test Chase early and often. Deep shots, jump balls, back-shoulders, whatever it takes to reignite an offense that sputtered. Because when Chase is fed, Cincinnati doesn’t just compete, they dominate. And Burrow is promising that this is the version of the Bengals we’ll see again.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor admits his mistake after Joe Burrow’s poor offense

The Bengals walked out of Cleveland with a 17-16 win, but if you watched the offense, you didn’t see beauty. Joe Burrow was under siege, taking three sacks in a brutal three-play stretch, and the running game barely moved the chains. Chase Brown, supposed to carry the new-look rushing attack, managed only 43 yards on 21 carries. Numbers that sting. Numbers that underscore one truth. Zac Taylor’s play-calling was far too conservative.

Taylor dialed up more runs, leaned heavily on 12 personnel with two tight ends, and emphasized mistake avoidance over aggressive play. And it worked, technically. The Bengals escaped with a 2-0 turnover margin, intercepting Jordan Battle and DJ Turner to seal the win. But if the goal was to unleash Burrow and the offense, it wasn’t a success.

The air attack mustered just 113 passing yards, a season-worst for a unit built to score in bunches. “There are opportunities where I can put us in a better position,” Taylor admitted, owning the sacks and the stagnant sequences that dominated the second half. The coach also admitted that he should have challenged the referee’s out-of-bounds decision against Chase inside the 1-yard line. Had he done that, the receiver would have logged a 13-yard touchdown.

“Obviously just letting the play settle on the one-yard line to Ja’Marr and letting that be a touchdown instead of getting no points in four plays. That’s one you want back,” Taylor said. “That one just falls on me to be quite honest with ya. So that’s something to clean up.” Yet, he defended himself by claiming that it’s hard for him to see things that deep from the sideline. But that’s his job. Still, the sense is this was a warning, not a trend. This weekend, facing Jacksonville at home, expect the Bengals to shake off the hesitation.

Also, expect Taylor to loosen the leash, Burrow to air it out, and the offense to rediscover its bite. Cleveland was a reminder that even wins can sting, and sometimes the biggest lessons come with a victory.