Former Super Bowl champion says Joe Burrow not good enough to carry Bengals and beat Lamar Jackson-led Ravens
Last Sunday, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals scored a comfortable yet critical 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders to improve to 4-5 and keep their hopes of earning a playoff berth alive. However, they have no time to rest on their laurels as they are back in action on Thursday Night Football against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
It's a massive test for the Bengals, who'll back themselves to pull off an upset win. However, 2002 Super Bowl winner with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Keyshawn Johnson has already ruled out the possibility of a Cincinnati win. On Speak on FS1 on Wednesday, he claimed that the Bengals' extensive injury list will put the onus on Burrow to carry them to a win, which he isn't equipped to do. He said:
"[Burrow's not good enough] to beat the Ravens on the road. He's 1-3 lifetime on the road against the Ravens... And they just went out and got secondary help to help them out. You got Ja'Marr Chase as the Lone Ranger out there. You gonna be throwing footballs to Ja'Marr, and that's it. And they [Ravens] just go sit back and allow him [Ja'Marr] to catch them? No, I don't think [Burrow is good enough to carry the Bengals to a win versus Baltimore]."
Bengals injury report: Two key players on offense could be sidelined
As Johnson pointed out, Joe Burrow's options in the passing game will be limited. Wide receivers Tee Higgins (quadriceps) and Charlie Brown (groin) have been listed as doubtful on the injury report and likely won't play against the Ravens on Thursday night.
To add to their woes, offensive tackle Orlando Brown is nursing a knee injury, and his participation tomorrow night is questionable. Even if he suits up, he likely won't be fully healthy. The quarterback has also been dealing with a wrist injury since the start of the season but reiterated multiple times that it hasn't affected his performances.
In all, the Bengals have to overcome several issues in their quest to beat Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on the road and improve to 5-5. It'll take a Herculean effort from Burrow and it remains to be seen whether he can make Johnson eat his words on Thursday night.