Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow going forward, even if it means fines or penalties

CINCINNATI — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was hit, hit and hit a little in Thursday night’s game 35-34 loss to the Ravens.

Baltimore had plenty of clean hits at the star signal, but they also got away with some late hits that should have been penalties, including a hit by Marlon Humphrey where he took four steps after the ball was thrown and still hit Burrow (video below).

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor admits he needs to be more vocal about the hits because they are unacceptable.

“I have to fight harder for Joe to get some of it because he doesn’t want to do it. He doesn’t want to disrupt his flow in the game,” Taylor said Friday. “I’ve just got to keep fighting for some of that stuff because you don’t want to lose him on a play that’s good after the play is over.”

Hit by Humphrey would be called at all levels of football. Burrow was seen cowering on the sideline as he tried to pick up his helmet with his left arm after the play.

Taylor described Burrow as “tender” on Friday. The star defender avoided serious injury, but that kind of hit is unacceptable.

Whether it’s Taylor, Burrow himself, Ja’Marr Chase or any of the other players in the locker room – someone needs to step up and make sure opponents, officials and the entire league know that hitting Burrow like that is unacceptable.

“I feel like I’ve never gotten those calls. So I don’t really expect that,” Burrow said after the game. “I feel like there were a couple that were close. Again, I don’t expect them.”

The Bengals need to start demanding them or punish someone willing to take FOUR steps and hit Burrow after he throws the ball.

Just a week after Bengals center Ted Karras said he regretted not confronting Maxx Crosby for a questionable (at best) hit on Burrow, a cornerback from a division rival got a free shot on him.

In fairness, the Bengals’ offensive line probably didn’t see the hit by Humphrey in real time, outside of Cody Ford, but this is about the Bengals’ mentality.

They are asking Burrow to do more than any other quarterback in the NFL. Thursday night he went on the road against a division rival, dropped back 60+ times, diagnosed the defense pre-snap, post-snap, had to make the right reads and try to lead them to victory.

The Bengals lost, but Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns. If Cincinnati is going to climb out of their 4-6 hole, they will do so with Burrow leading the charge.

If he’s willing to go into Baltimore with a game plan that was built knowing he’d take some hits, his teammates and coaches can do their part to protect him. That includes being the enforcer or punisher if a veteran corner like Humphrey who really knows what he’s doing takes a shot like that at Burrow.

What does this mean?

Taylor, the rest of the coaching staff and the entire roster should be OK with the occasional penalty to defend Burrow both on and off the field.

Otherwise, the Chargers, Steelers and every other opponent the Bengals play this season will be pushing the limit because of how valuable Burrow is and the fact that officials don’t call every late hit on the star running back.

It is unacceptable and it cannot happen going forward.

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Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow going forward, even if it means fines or penalties

Kaneb

Kaneb

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