The Bengals' Crunch-Time Struggles: Can Joe and Ja’Marr Carry This Team to the Playoffs?

What is a quarterback without a receiver to make the catch? What is a receiver without a quarterback to make the throw? And what is a team that can’t seem to find its spark? It’s the question on every fan's mind: Why can’t we win? So far into the 2024-2025 season, the Bengals have played 13 games and sit at 5-8. Fans are tired of tuning in only to watch their team lose in the final moments. The Bengals put on a great show, don’t get me wrong—tons of highlight-worthy plays, and stats that make you wonder how it was possible they lost. Yet with every loss, it seems they cannot come through when it matters most, leading to a string of heartbreaking losses.

Joe Burrow has faced many hardships throughout his career, including a season-ending injury last year in his game against the Ravens, where he suffered a ruptured scapholunate ligament injury in his wrist. After the surgery that followed, fans were left to wonder what Burrow would be like once he made his return for the 2024 season. With concern for Joe’s health being made very clear during press conferences and media posts, Joe seems to be putting the injury behind him and focusing on his season ahead. Lucky for him, Burrow is not the reason the Bengals are losing back-to-back. While no player is perfect, Burrow seems to be playing some of the best football of his career, putting up some insane stats. So far into the 2024 season, Burrow is ranked 3rd in passing yards with 3,337 yards, 1st in passing touchdowns with 30, and 2nd in Total Quarterback Rating (TQR) with 74.2. With such high rankings amongst quarterbacks in the NFL, you’d expect he would have a team to help take him the rest of the way. Despite his success this season, the Bengals are currently 5-8 and sitting at 3rd in the AFC North. After leading your team to the brink of victory and putting up incredible stats game after game, it’s hard to stay positive when your teammates can't quite make it to the end zone to finish it off. After consecutive losses, frustration and anger are building both within fans and players alike. Burrow has made it clear that he is frustrated with the team's overall performance. His frustration and anger have been visible during games, directed at both officials and teammates.

Sometimes, even a team so perfectly in sync falls short. As Joe Burrow says in their Week 10 game against the Baltimore Ravens, it was a “tough pill to swallow.” Despite throwing 428 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, a 108.3 passer rating, and completing 60.7% of his passes, the Bengals still fell short 34-35. Who else needs to step up? What is the missing link for the Cincinnati Bengals' road to success? And what will it take for them to finish strong?

The Burrow-Chase duo has been one of the key forces keeping the games alive. The dynamic between them is one for the ages. With 79 receptions, 1,142 yards, and 13 touchdowns, Ja’Marr Chase does not seem to be lacking in his game and is showing no signs of slowing down. In their win against the Dallas Cowboys last night, Ja’Marr Chase provided the winning touchdown. Ja’Marr put up 177 receiving yards, 14 receptions, and 2 receiving touchdowns, leading to the final score being 27-20.

 So what does this mean for the rest of the Bengals' season? The Bengals are currently sitting at 10th in their conference, and the chances of them making the postseason are slim and will require a lot of changes. While the Bengals have excellent chemistry and are aligned in their goals, their execution needs some work. Their win over the Cowboys was a glimpse of what they could achieve if they could replicate that Burrow-Chase chemistry across every position on the field. The Bengals will have to go on a winning streak while praying for the downfall of the teams ahead of them. Praying for the loss of other teams can only take them so far, they need to address the cracks in their foundation: the defense that can’t seem to finish, the offensive mistakes, and the overall lack of improvement on issues they must fix. But who knows? With enough luck, anything can happen. Maybe the Bengals have what it takes this season, and if not, we definitely know what we will be in for next season.