Joe Burrow channels inner Kobe Bryant after 251-yard, 5 TD performance vs. Raiders
The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 on Sunday, and Joe Burrow dominated the game. The quarterback finished the contest with an incredible five passing touchdowns, even when missing wide receivers Tee Higgins from injury and Jermaine Burton (from disciplinary reasons).
Burrow's performance, at a time when the Bengals desperately needed their quarterback to produce, was excellent. He absolutely dominated the opposing team, and it would be understandable if he was happy with his numbers. But Cincinnati's quarterback isn't interested in celebrating: with the team with a 4-9 record, he wants to turn the page soon.
And he's channeling his inner Kobe Bryant to justify his mood:
"What's there to be happy about?" is the same phrase used by Kobe Bryant right after the Los Angeles Lakers won Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals. A reporter asked the legendary NBA player why he was so serious in the press conference, and he said the aforementioned phrase, along with a "Job's not finished" in the end.
The Lakers eventually won the series 4-1. With the Bengals sitting at 4-5, it will take a huge improvement for Cincinnati to do the same.
What are the next games for the Cincinnati Bengals?
It's understandable why the quarterback doesn't want to celebrate too much. Their challenge will be tougher on many levels in Week 10: they play a divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football, and the Bengals will be the away team.
After a 0-2 start, the Ravens are 6-3 and are considered one of the best teams in the AFC. If the Bengals win, their confidence boost will be massive; in Week 11, they play the Los Angeles Chargers away from home.
Joe Burrow's stats in 2024
After an excellent game on Sunday, Burrow now has 2,244 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and four interceptions in 2024.
The main reason why Cincinnati isn't being competitive in 2024 is truly their defense. They have allowed the eighth-most passing yards this season (2,869), and allow opposing offenses to get 4.3 rushing yards per carry. The 25.3 points allowed per game is also one of the highest marks in the league.