Joe Burrow returned to practice in a restricted capability on Monday, lower than two months after the Bengals positioned their Professional Bowl quarterback on injured reserve with turf toe. The Bengals opened Burrow’s 21-day window to be activated off of injured reserve. Throughout this era, Burrow can observe with out counting in opposition to Cincinnati’s 53-man roster.
Burrow, who particularly suffered a Grade 3 turf toe throughout Cincinnati’s Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, underwent surgical procedure on Sept.19. He mentioned that this and the group’s progress over the following few weeks will decide whether or not nor he’ll play once more this season.
“Plenty of variables which are going to enter this,” Burrow said after observe. “The primary is how [the toe] is feeling and in my well being, so we’ll simply take it day-to-day, like now we have been all through the rehab course of.”
Cincinnati has gone simply 1-6 since Burrow’s damage. Regardless of averaging practically 38 factors per sport over the previous three video games, the Bengals went 1-2 over that span as protection stays an Achilles heel. Cincinnati’s protection allowed a median of 39 factors per sport over that span that included 47 factors in the course of the Bengals’ Week 9 loss to the Bears.
“I believe early within the yr, the offense wasn’t rolling, and I believed the protection was enjoying fairly properly,” Burrow mentioned when requested to evaluate the present state of the Bengals. “After which recently, looks like that’s flip flopped, however there’s nonetheless guys doing good issues. There’s good things placed on tape. It simply appears like we’ve not actually put all of it collectively.”
Whereas the Bengals’ protection continues to seek for solutions, their offense has loved the stability of 40-year quarterback Joe Flacco, whom Cincinnati acquired through a commerce with the Browns after Jake Browning floundered. In 4 begins with the Bengals, Flacco accomplished 64.7% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and simply two picks.
“He is enjoying nice,” Burrow mentioned of Flacco. “He is placing the ball the place it must go. He is been correct. He is getting the ball out. I believe the O-line has been enjoying nice. We have been working the ball rather well over these final couple weeks. That is been thrilling to see. After which clearly our guys are making performs like they all the time do.”
The highest general decide within the 2020 NFL Draft, Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021, his first full season because the group’s beginning quarterback. He led Cincinnati to inside a sport of the Super Bowl the next season whereas garnering severe MVP consideration.
Final yr, Burrow received NFL Comeback Participant of the 12 months for a second time after main the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Whereas Burrow is clearly progressing from a well being standpoint, his group will as soon as once more depend on Flacco this week in opposition to the Steelers, a group that Flacco has important success in opposition to all through his 18-year-career. Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns in the course of the Bengals’ Week 7 win over Pittsburgh, Cincinnati’s lone victory since Burrow was positioned on injured reserve.
Talking of the Steelers, Burrow alluded to Pittsburgh’s 5-4 file and the truth that nobody has run away from the AFC North division by way of 10 weeks. Cincinnati would truly transfer to 3-0 in opposition to divisional foes if they will depart Pittsburgh with a win on Sunday.
“All the pieces remains to be there in entrance of us,” Burrow mentioned. “It is very uncommon that our division seems to be like this, however it does this yr. And so, you already know, I believe we’ll be a minimum of in it till the tip.”
Burrow will not play this week, and as he mentioned on Monday, there isn’t any ensures that he’ll play once more this season. But when he does, Burrow did not conceal the truth that Cincinnati’s Thanksgiving Day sport in opposition to the Ravens is a doable goal by way of his return sport. Baltimore was the place Burrow’s season prematurely led to 2023 after he sustained a wrist damage that finally required surgical procedure.
“Very,” Burrow mentioned when requested how significant it could be to play in that sport. “We’ll see how the following couple of weeks go.”
