HOF TE Shannon Sharpe pins blame on Joe Burrow for Bengals loss despite 309-yard, 3 TD outing vs. Steelers
The Cincinnati Bengals once again scored a lot of points, but they were not able to close out the game. This has been the theme of their season: the offense does a great job, but the team is unable to close out games. They're now 4-8.
This has been one of the greatest seasons of Joe Burrow's career. Although he has been putting stellar numbers, his team has one of the worst defenses in the league. In an ultra-competitive division such as the AFC North, you have to be strong on both sides of the ball.
After another loss on Sunday, this time a 44-38 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers, former NFL tight end and current media analyst Shannon Sharpe did not hold back on the Bengals: the defense has been poor, but the quarterback is also to blame.
The statistics say otherwise. Scoring 30 points is always a good sign of winning a game, and NFL teams have a 79-7 record when scoring at least 30 points during the 2024 season. However, Cincinnati alone accounts for four of those losses, which shows how badly they have been playing.
Can the Bengals still make the playoffs in 2024?
Although they're not mathematically eliminated, don't expect to see Cincinnati in the playoffs of the 2024 season. After another loss, they can't win the AFC North anymore, as the Steelers now hold the division lead with a 9-3 record and they dominate the tiebreakers.
Not even the wild card feels achievable. The Denver Broncos, with a 7-5 record, are the current 7th seed in the conference. If they win against the Cleveland Browns during Monday Night Football, the Bengals will be four games behind the seventh seed with five weeks to go.
Of course, Cincinnati would have to win all their remaining games for a postseason appearance to even feel possible. With three straight losses, this feels more like a miracle.
NFL fans would certainly love to see Joe Burrow back in the playoffs after missing in 2023. He's playing great, but Cincinnati is not. Many analysts are pointing out that it's unlikely that Zac Taylor will return as head coach in 2025.