The Bengals got a good look at Joe Burrow during their first series against Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
In his first game in almost nine months, Burrow led a 73-yard drive, threw a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins, and then left the field.
Even though the Buccaneers won 17-14 with a late score, Burrow showed he was ready to play.
He completed 5 of 7 passes for 51 yards, achieved five first downs, and connected with four different receivers.
“I thought he was in control and saw the defense really well,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “I thought he handled it really well, and those guys made plays for him.”
Burrow’s first and last passes of the drive were to Higgins, one of the few Bengals’ starters who played. Burrow started the drive with a 9-yard pass to Higgins, and then, on second-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 10, he connected with Higgins again for a 5-yard touchdown after Higgins avoided a tackle by cornerback Josh Hayes.
Burrow looked like his old self after recovering from surgery to fix a torn ligament in his throwing hand. He avoided taking any hits, including a play where he threw the ball away to avoid a blitz.
“Still some work to do, but it was nice to be back out there,” Burrow said. “Scored that touchdown, had a little help. It was a nice start.”
Burrow was injured on November 16 at Baltimore, also on a touchdown throw to Higgins.
Backup Jake Browning didn’t do as well. He played the rest of the first half and the third quarter, completing 10 of 18 passes for 52 yards. The Bengals struggled until Logan Woodside, the third quarterback of the night, threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jermaine Burton late in the game.
Higgins also left the game after the first series. He is playing under a franchise tag and wants to prove himself for 2024.
