Joe Burrow seems to have achieved a lot in his football career, including winning a Heisman Trophy, defeating Patrick Mahomes, going to the Super Bowl, and signing a big contract.
However, there is one thing he has not accomplished: a victory in Cleveland.
Burrow is 0-3 when playing on the road against the Browns, and the Bengals have not beaten their in-state rivals in Cleveland since 2017, when Burrow was a sophomore at Ohio State.
As he gets ready this week for another chance against the Browns (1-5), Burrow admits that his struggles at Lake Erie are frustrating for him and his teammates.
“Yeah, of course,” Burrow said, noting his 1-5 record against Cleveland. “We haven’t had success against this divisional opponent, so that’s always frustrating and something we’re striving for. We need to go get this one.”
Burrow is not the only one feeling the pain against the Browns. Coach Zac Taylor is also 0-5 in Cleveland, and none of the current Bengals players have won a game at what is now called Huntington Bank Field.
“It’s terrible,” said defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. “I made everybody aware of it this morning in our defensive meeting room that we have yet to get on the bus happy. They are aware of what that building presents, what that team presents to us and the challenges. We have to step it up and do better.”
The Bengals (2-4) are trying to overcome another slow start, which has been a trend for the last three years.
Cincinnati began the 2023 season with a record of 1-3, finishing at 9-8 and missing the playoffs. In 2022, they started 2-3 but managed to recover and reach the AFC title game for the second year in a row.
Burrow hasn’t been the issue. He’s completing a career-high 71.6% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His QB rating of 110.3 is the best in the league.
However, the Bengals have struggled with problems on the offensive line, lost two games at the last moment, and it has taken time for everything to come together on both offense and defense.
“Ideally, we’d be 6-0,” Burrow said. “But that’s not where we’re at, and that’s just the way this year has played out. There’s a lot of urgency in the building to go and win games. I think guys are handling it the right way.”
