In order for the Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs, quarterback Joe Burrow and the rest of the offense needs to limit the numbers of turnovers moving forward. Burrow leads the league in interceptions through 13 weeks with 14.
Burrow, in his second season in the NFL, knows giving the ball away at the number he is, albeit several are not his fault, is not a recipe for success. Certainly not in the month of December.
"That's been something I have been disappointed in this year as far as ones that I can control," Burrow said. "Too many in my opinion."
It’s not so much the number of interceptions Burrow has thrown that are a cause for concern.
In fact, four of the five players who rank right behind Burrow in interceptions are on teams in the position to make the playoffs: Lamar Jackson (13), Ryan Tannehill (13), Patrick Mahomes (12), Justin Herbert (11) and Zach Wilson (11). The issue is more surrounding when the interceptions are taking place.
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Some of them have come when Burrow is trying to force the ball into tight windows like the one he threw in the end zone against the Cleveland Browns that resulted in a pick-six.
Some have come as a result of his wide receivers not securing the ball. Regardless, several have come at critical times in the game and have played a role in the final score.
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The Bengals are heading into the final stretch of the regular season and you could make an argument every game moving forward is a must-win game.
In order to win these games and a secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2015, Cincinnati can’t give the ball away to their opponents at the rate they currently are. The Bengals rank No. 23 in the NFL in giveaways with 19 on the year (14 interceptions, five fumbles).
“Yeah, I mean it has to change, some way, shape or form,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “The crazy thing is we’re still sitting at … In our last three losses, we’ve turned the ball over, I think, eight times in three losses. That’s not going to get it done versus very many good teams.
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"The turnovers, they’re too many. It’s too many all the way around. Our defense has done a decent job of getting the ball back. We’re really neutralizing that advantage when we keep giving the ball away at the rate we are, whether it’s fumbles or interceptions or however they come.”
Leading the league in interceptions is not a stat Burrow is proud of and he can only control so much of what takes place.
The Bengals can help their franchise quarterback by shoring up the protection for him to limit the amount of times he is hit. If Burrow is constantly under duress, there’s less time for him to get through his reads and make the right decision with football.
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Even more importantly, a team has more opportunities to knock the ball out of his hands if they hit him. Burrow has been sacked 36 times this season – the second-most of any NFL quarterback this year.
The Bengals know they will go as far as Burrow takes them and he has the talent to help Cincinnati win the AFC North this season. Now, it’s on him and his teammates to ensure they give themselves the best chance to do so and a big part of it will be limiting the turnovers.
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"We faced a lot of adversity this year," Burrow said. "We have really good people in the locker room that work really hard. Those are the kind of guys you want to be going to war with here going down the stretch and have to come out with some tough wins."
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