For the Bungles, this season has been heartbreaking. 4 out of 7 games lost, the margin of defeat was quite narrow. It happened against the Chargers on November 18 as well. They could have won the game as the scores were equalized 27 each. But just couldn’t. Joe Burrow was disappointed with the loss and answered some tough questions at the presser.

Kicker Evan McPherson was the target. He missed two field goals in the 4th quarter. With no emotion on his face in the post-game presser, Burrow was asked if he said anything to the kicker after missing those kicks, to which he replied, “Nothing.” But he did blame the team for the poor performance and added, “We’re not a good enough team. I’ve got to make those plays. We’ve got to make those plays.”

Joe Cool was at his absolute best during the comeback. While the Bengals’ defense looked confused and gave a 24-6 lead to the Chargers by halftime, the quarterback & Co. came prepared. They scored 2 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter followed by another one in the 4th. Who Dey Nation was jumping out of their seats? They were cheering for a win. Boom! Everything turned into silence soon.

McPherson missed 2 FGs, first from the 48 yards, and second from the 51-yards. It was heartbreaking. The Chargers scored a touchdown with 18 seconds remaining. It was game over. While Joe Burrow had 28 of 50 passes (56% completion rate) in 356 yards with 3 touchdowns, Justin Herbert was behind him in all departments with 17 of 36 passes (47% completion rate) in 297 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite that, the Bengals lost.

He was sad but still had a belief about their playoff chances, even sharing his love for the fans.

Defeated Joe Burrow was humbled by fans’ support

The So-Fi Stadium was brimming with orange jerseys. And all of them were hoping for a win after the stunning performance in the 2nd half. However, it didn’t end the way they wanted. The quarterback appreciated their love for the game and mentioned, “They’re a big part of what we do.” He even expressed hopes of winning some games for them. But for now, the Bengals are going into the bye week.

They have a lot of thinking to do. Missing such close games has lowered their playoff chances by a big margin. Though Joe Burrow also shared a similar sentiment to the HC Zac Taylor and said ‘he hoped‘ to make it to the playoffs despite the 4-7 record. If they want to make it, it’s a now-or-never situation for them. They must win all the remaining games.

The locker room needs to sit together and find ways of winning the plays instead of trying to think ahead of the game. Smaller wins can lead to a surge of confidence. And it would ultimately help them in winning the matchups. Can they unite and come back strongly? We’ll find out soon.