Joe Burrow Explains Why Bengals Missed Playoffs Last Season: Blame Me

Last season, Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow played at an MVP level last year, but the Bengals missed the playoffs due to a lackluster defense. Many sports media pundits either thought he was the best quarterback in the league due to him leading the league in completions, yards and touchdowns, or they put the blame for the Bengals’ problems on his shoulders.

Burrow himself offered his own take on the Bengals’ situation months after the Bengals were officially eliminated from the playoff picture.

“If I had played even better, we wouldn’t have been in that spot that we were in,” Burrow said, via Bengals.com. “I just focus on getting better myself, and I feel like everyone in the locker room feels the same way. If I go out there and play better than I did last year, then it doesn’t matter what goes on anywhere else.”

It is hard to argue with Burrows’ point because every player in history could say the same thing and have a ring. Most quarterbacks in the NFL put the pressure of the team on their shoulders, so they get the credit when the team is doing well, but on the flip side, they get the blame when the team does not meet expectations.

In 2024, Burrow had 4,918 passing yards, 43 touchdown passes and a 70.6% completion percentage while only throwing nine interceptions. Burrow had almost 300 more passing yards than the quarterback who was second in yards, which was Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, and two more passing touchdowns than Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Burrow will be looking to lead the Bengals to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history this year as they will face the Cleveland Browns in week one of the NFL regular season.