Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow comes to the podium following games with the same demeanor every week despite the outcome of the game.
Since clinching a postseason berth in late December, most of the questions Burrow fields pertain to his thoughts on defying previous narratives.
Will the Bengals win their first playoff game in 31 years? Can the Bengals go on the road and win in the postseason for the first time in franchise history? Are the Bengals good enough to upset the AFC’s No. 1 seed?
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Following the Bengals’ 19-16 win over the Tennessee Titans, Burrow refuted any idea of the Bengals being the NFL’s Cinderella story.
"I'm tired of the underdog narrative," Burrow said. "We're a really, really good team. We're here to make noise."
He’s right. The Bengals are a good team and continue to prove it in every way.
Against the Titans, Cincinnati relied on its defense to win the game. After three consecutive games in which Burrow put the Bengals on his back putting up monster numbers through the air, Saturday’s game didn’t shake out that way.
Tennessee put Burrow under the most pressure he’s seen all year and was sacked a career-high nine times in the win. Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons led the way with three sacks. Despite being under duress all night, Burrow completed 28 of 37 passes for 348 yards.
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"They had a great rush plan," Burrow said after the game. "Made it tough on us, made it tough on me (by) disguising coverages and blitzes and everything and they switched it up the whole game. They didn't stick to one thing. One thing didn't work, they moved on to the next thing. Kept us on our toes.”
The Bengals, as they have done more often than not this season, found a way despite facing adversity. Their ability to do so stems from the belief in the locker room and in Burrow as defensive tackle D.J. Reader explained following the game.
“Every week we go out there and try to get the ball back to 9 (Joe Burrow),” Reader said. “That's what we believe in as a team. That's who we're trying to get the ball to. No matter what's going on with him, we'll go out there and get the ball back to him. That's our jobs. He's the toughest guy in the league, though. He's tough. Just gritty. Love it. I love that about him. He's a super tough guy. He doesn't complain. Goes out there does his job. I really appreciate Joe.”
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