Joe Burrow sets tone for SNF clash vs. Chargers as Bengals look to bounce back from 4-6 start
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will be in primetime action on the road in Week 11 as they are scheduled to take on the in-form Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football.
The Bengals are looking to bounce back from their agonizing 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and while the mood may be damp in Cincinnati, considering the team is 4-6, the quarterback is looking forward to the challenge ahead.
In his press conference on Wednesday, he told WLTV News:
"[The game against the Chargers] is a big one. Primetime, so I'm always excited to showcase what we can do in that situation, and we know we got to go win it."
The Chargers have won three straight and have fully embraced head coach Jim Harbaugh's hard-nosed football philosophy of being stingy on defense and breaking down their opponent's spirit with their stellar ground game.
Burrow warned his teammates that they'd have to be assertive on offense as they may not get too many possessions to work with. He said:
"Our possessions will probably be limited, just like when we played the old Baltimore teams. They're going to run the ball well, get into manageable third downs, they're not going to turn it over, they're going to keep everything in front on defense and try to shorten the game."
While the Chargers are looking to close the gap on the teams above them in the playoff picture, the Bengals will fight to keep their diminishing playoff hopes alive.
Bengals playoff odds: Joe Burrow and Co. will have to run the table
According to the New York Times' playoff simulator, the Bengals have a 36% chance of making it to the playoffs ahead of their game against the Chargers. A win on Sunday night will see their odds improve to 55%. However, defeat will see it plummet to 21%.
Dropping to 4-7 would mean that the Bengals will likely have to win their remaining six games to earn a playoff berth. While they'll fancy their chances of scoring victories over the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers twice and the Denver Broncos could be daunting.
Joe Burrow is treating the game against the Chargers as a must-win for the Bengals. Given the tricky schedule ahead, the rest of the team should follow suit.