CINCINNATI —

Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow is set to miss the start of training camp to undergo surgery to have his appendix removed.

The surgery should not keep him sidelined for long. The common procedure should have Burrow back on the field for the start of the season, if not before that.

The news broke less than a day before the start of Bengals training camp. Tuesday, fans flocked to the Pro Shop to get their last-minute gear. It was there many heard about Burrow's condition.

"Appendix surgery, wow, this is the first I've heard of it," Ed Hoeweler said. "We got a good team, and he's a strong guy. He's a leader. He'll come back and bounce back. Hopefully, he'll get well soon."

Hoeweler has been going to games since the 70s when his dad was a season ticket holder. Keeping that tradition alive, Hoeweler now goes with his son. After last season's Superbowl heartbreak, he hopes this year will have a different ending.

"Hope for this year is making it to the Super Bowl and winning it," Hoeweler said.

Burrow's surgery does not cast doubt in Hoeweler's mind. He believes the star quarterback will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.

"I'm sure as soon as he can step on the field, he'll be back," Hoeweler said.

Bengals fans are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the recovery time for an appendectomy is weeks, not months. Not to mention that the surgery comes before the season kicks off.

"Appendix surgeries generally aren't serious, but it's going to take a couple of weeks to recover fully," Bengals fan Jason Thibeault said. "I still have high hopes for the season."

Christ Hospital's Dr. John Schillings has been operating for ten years and has completed hundreds of appendectomies.

"Appendicitis is a very interesting and common disease," Schilling said. "Anyone can get it, and you really can't prevent it. I don't think taking extra hits when you're behind center can really cause appendicitis."

Fans plan to hold down 'The Jungle' and wish their star quarterback a speedy recovery.

"Get well soon Joey B," Hoeweler said. "Who dey!"

More information on Burrow's procedure should be released on Wednesday when Bengals head coach Zac Taylor talks with the media at training camp.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —

The first win of the season is in the books for the Cincinnati Bengals after defeating the Jets by 15 points on Sunday.

The Bengals stepped up their game and looked way more fluid as soon as kickoff happened. Joe Burrow threw three touchdowns and finished 23 of 36 for 275 yards.

The offensive line stepped up their game as well and allowed only three sacks on Burrow. Three is still a lot, but it's much better compared to the seven sacks Dallas put on him.

Burrow said the offensive line did so much better today because they’re improving.

"They’re working hard in practice, understanding the protections and the corrections they had to make from the first two weeks and I played better, we called a better game and we weren’t behind in the first half," Burrow said.

The beginning of Sunday's game felt like a relief, like fans were seeing that Super Bowl team because they came out clean and ready to play.

“We started fast, we started clean. Most importantly, we got the ball in the end zone three times on that first drive. The third one counted, which was good to see," said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

The Bengals and Jets had two different stories coming into Sunday's game. Cincinnati coming off two tough losses and New York coming off a win in overtime against the Cleveland Browns, it was a true test for the Bengals to clinch the win.

"We just needed to get the first win, didn't really care what it looked like. Didn't care if it was 3-0 or 49-3, we just needed to rip that band-aid off and get that first win," Taylor said. "We knew we were gonna get a great performance from our guys and they delivered."

And delivered they did.

Samaje Perine, Tyler Boyd and Ja'Marr Chase all recorded touchdowns against the Jets while Burrow was 8 of 10 for 95 yards on the drive during which Cincinnati thought it got into the end zone two other times.

Tee Higgins was asked if he thought he scored on a touchdown in the first quarter, "for sure, for sure, I got robbed," the wide receiver said. Burrow also agreed that he thought Higgins scored.

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As the Bengals prepare for the rest of the season, Burrow said being aggressive and coming out fast is what will put the Bengals on top.

"We came out aggressive and it paid off for us," the star quarterback said. "It paid off for us, we put seven on the board then came right back and scored again, so that was a big start to the game for us."

Although this Cincinnati team consists of a group of confident players, getting that first win of the season restores a little bit of faith for the players and fans.

"Just the win itself is all we needed. Our guys know what we’re capable of. We just need to get in that win column and positive momentum, not only with our team but the fans," Taylor said.

Burrow also added that the way they played today was going to be the epitome of what they want to be for the rest of the year.

"That's critical going forward for the rest of the season. Coming out fast, putting points on the board," Burrow said. "That last series was the epitome of what we want to be for the rest of the year."

Looking ahead to Thursday's game at Paycor Stadium, Taylor says "[Miami] has beaten some really good football teams, so it's gonna be a tough test for us, but I know our fans are gonna be there to help us. Help us do everything we can to pull out a win."

INJURIES:
Defensive tackle D.J. Reader was ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game due to a left knee injury. "I just know it's a knee injury, hopefully, it's better than not, but we'll get more information on that," Taylor said.

Tee Higgins also took another hard hit that knocked his helmet off earlier on in the game but remind in. He was taken out of the first game of the season against the Steelers for a concussion.

WHAT'S NEXT:

The Cincinnati Bengals will break out their 'White Bengal' helmets and white uniforms for Thursday's primetime game against the Miami Dolphins at Paycor Stadium.

Kick-off is set for 8:15 p.m.

CENTERVILLE, Ohio — Dave Berk's pinned tweet about the start of Joe Burrow's college football recruiting journey has 5,165 retweets and nearly 33,000 likes since Dec. 14, 2019 — the night Burrow won the Heisman Trophy.

"People find it all the time," said Berk, a longtime Ohio high school football analyst. "Someone called me the other day and said, 'Hey I saw your tweet on ESPN.'"

Berk's tweet more than two years ago is often cited by national media outlets and is still a reminder of Burrow's journey from Athens High School to quarterback of the Super Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals.

Every high school football player with dreams of playing in college and beyond has to start somewhere. Burrow was no different.

"I was wondering if there were any specific camps I should go to to help get my name out there because I'm not really getting any attention," the Athens junior quarterback wrote Berk in a direct message Dec. 18, 2013.

A few weeks earlier, Burrow lost a playoff game to Marion-Franklin during a cold night in Southeast Ohio.

Berk, a Centerville resident, and Columbus-based photographer Scott Reed made the drive to watch Burrow play quarterback and line up as a defensive back in press coverage.

"As soon as he put the helmet on and he strapped it up, he was making plays," Reed said. "We were just looking at each other going, 'Wow, how did he make that pass?' "It was phenomenal what he was doing."

Scott Reed/SR Action Photography

Before that playoff game, Berk heard critics who claimed Burrow was putting up significant offensive stats against weak competition in an area of the state that often gets overlooked by some college football programs.

Berk and Reed didn't accept the negativity. They were impressed with Burrow's ability to stretch the pocket, throw across his body and simply make plays.

"A lot of the things that you don't see in young quarterbacks he could do, and a lot of things people talk about now I saw that night," Berk said. "He just had the 'it' factor is the best way to explain it."

Berk is convinced Burrow's work ethic had a significant impact in high school and throughout his college career, from Ohio State University to Louisiana State University.

So it was no surprise to hear Burrow this week discussing his advice to young athletes as he prepares for the Super Bowl.

"Don't go have a workout and post it on Instagram the next day and then go sit on your butt for four days and everyone thinks you're working hard but you're really not," Burrow told reporters. "Work in silence. Don't show everybody what you're doing."

That mentality as the son of former Ohio University assistant coach Jimmy Burrow was evident to Berk and to college recruiters. The patience and persistence paid off.

"When he sent me the original message my response to him was basically, 'Hey you just need to do what you're doing,'" Berk said. "And there is going to be opportunities for him in places like the Elite 11, the Nike combines and camps but the most important thing was the college camps."

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Less than a month after Burrow's direct message, he told Berk he received his first scholarship offer from Western Michigan in January 2014. Central Michigan, Fresno State, University of Cincinnati and West Virginia soon followed. Big Ten and Southeastern Conference programs were among those not far behind with scholarship offers, too.

Later that year, Burrow led Athens to the Division III state final as a senior at Ohio Stadium and eventually won Ohio Mr. Football before signing with Ohio State.

"I always felt Joe's talent was a different talent," Berk said. "And it's not just pure athleticism where you can throw the football and how far you can throw it, what velocity and all that. It's the understanding."

"People are seeing that now," Berk said. "What he's showing people now, he was showing in high school early glimpses of it."

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Loud, wild and crazy are just a few words, of many that describe the atmosphere at Arrowhead Stadium and the 76,000 screaming fans inside.

“We expect it to be really loud. We're talking about it throughout the week," Bengals Joe Burrow said.

For Bengals signal caller Burrow, walking into a stadium that holds the Guinness world record for being the loudest doesn't faze him.

“You know in the SEC, it seems like every single week every stadium is really loud. There's hundreds of thousands of people this one is going to be similar,” Burrow said.

Tiger Stadium, where Burrow played college ball, holds 26,000 more fans than Arrowhead, but doesn't get nearly as loud. LSU hit 130 decibels back in 2007 while Arrowhead and Chiefs Kingdom set the benchmark at 142 decibels.

“We're going to have to be great with our communication, our non-verbal communication just like every week on the road,” Burrow said.

Across the sideline, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes says Chiefs Kingdom will be a factor to Sunday's outcome.

“Arrowhead is pretty loud. I don't think you can get around that and I'm sure it'll be pretty loud this weekend. They're a great football team. They're coming in trying to win a pretty big game, but I'm glad we're at Arrowhead and we're gonna use our crowd to our advantage and try to find a way to get a win,” Mahomes said.

CINCINNATI — Hopefully Joe Burrow will find Cincinnati more interesting in the new year thanks to mascot Who Dey.

The Bengals QB slighted the city's nightlife Wednesday while explaining how the team has avoided a massive COVID-19 outbreak this season.

"We've done a great job with our COVID protocols," Burrow said. "Fortunately, there's not a ton to do in Cincinnati, so nobody's going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend."

While he may have a point when comparing the Queen City to Chicago or Los Angeles, cities where teams have more than a dozen players on the COVID-19 protocol list, some Cincinnati residents (jokingly) took offense. Bengals great Chad Ochocinco Johnson fought against the allegations on Twitter.

"Joe Burrow said there’s not much to do in Cincinnati, i beg to differ, there’s a Starbucks downtown, a McDonald’s in Covington & a O’ Charley’s in Tri-County which in fact has the best complimentary bread known to man…" Johnson tweeted.

In an attempt to get Burrow out more, Who Dey gifted him "Secret Cincinnati: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure" with a note on the front saying, "Things to do in Cincinnati."

"Guess I'm gonna have to read this, huh," Burrow said after finding the book in his locker.

UC alum Kevin Huber received a shirt commemorating Cincinnati's appearance in the Cotton Bowl — as did Alabama alum Jonah Williams. Ja'Marr Chase got UNO (for obvious reasons) while CJ Uzomah got...coal. Safe to say the Bengals are enjoying their Christmas.

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MOUNT ORAB, Ohio — Western Brown junior quarterback Drew Novak moved up to No. 11 on the state's all-time single season passing yards list Friday night and surpassed Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in that high school football statistical category.

Novak has thrown for 4,466 yards and 50 touchdowns this season. He entered Friday night as the nation's top passing yards leader, according to MaxPreps.

Novak passed Burrow, an Athens High School product, on the Ohio High School Athletic Association record list for most passing yards in a season Friday night.

Burrow threw for 4,437 yards during his senior season at Athens High School in 2014, when he was named Ohio Mr. Football.

Novak, who is visiting Iowa State University today, was 28-of-42 passing for 343 yards and five touchdowns in the Broncos' 50-20 win over visiting Bellefontaine in a Division III, Region 11 quarterfinal Friday night.

Novak rushed 12 times for 111 yards, too. He has rushed 994 yards and 17 touchdowns overall this year.

Novak's 50 touchdown passes is also on the OHSAA list for most TD passes in a season.

Novak is No. 15 all-time in Ohio for most career passing yards (9,121) and is on the state list for most career passing touchdowns (90).

Western Brown coach Nick Osborne said Novak and the Broncos don't dwell on the stats, but the program is grateful for the recognition.

"It's cool for him and cool for the program," Osborne said.

"Kind of getting the Western Brown name out there again like it used to be. I think Drew is handling it really, really well and the kids are handling it well. Drew is just a very humble kid. He's a true leader and he doesn't care about the spotlight."

This is the first time the Western Brown football team has advanced to the third round of the playoffs, according to Osborne.

Western Brown (10-2) plays Jackson (10-2) in a Region 11 semifinal Nov. 12 at a neutral site. Western Brown defeated Jackson 33-28 on Sept. 10.

The Broncos persevered Friday night to reach the regional semifinals.

Western Brown trailed 20-14 at the end of the first quarter Friday night, but the Broncos scored 28 unanswered points in the second and third quarters.

The defense really played well after the first quarter, led by several players, Osborne said.

Other offensive leaders included junior Zachery Chisman who caught two touchdown passes and rushed for two scores. Senior Dylan Novak, Drew's brother, had seven receptions for 71 yards.

"To be able to come away with a 30-point victory in the second round is something special for our kids," Osborne said. "They've worked hard for it and it just shows you their hard work and their dedication they put in this offseason."

CINCINNATI —

The Bengals won 27-24 in overtime against the Vikings in the season opener at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday.

The game-winning field goal came from rookie kicker Evan McPherson.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

CINCINNATI — For the Bengals coaching staff, the anticipation for the upcoming season can be equated to that of a child waiting to see what Santa Claus brought.

“It’s like Christmas morning again,” said Bengals assistant head coach Darrin Simmons. “I know what’s in the wrapping, but I haven’t gotten to play with the toys yet.”

Training camp begins this week, in a year when the expectations are higher than in recent seasons.

“We need to do better; we know that,” team owner Mike Brown said. “We think we’re in position to do that. We look forward to doing better and getting the stadium looking the way at games that we think it should.”

He’s talking about packing Paul Brown Stadium with fans, which they are allowed to do this season with COVID-19-related attendance restrictions having been lifted.

“You just feel that excitement that you forgot that you missed,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “You didn’t forget, but you didn’t get to experience it. Now that it’s back, I know that our players are juiced up. Our fans, our coaches, everybody’s ready to get a full crowd out here and get after it.”

A full crowd at home would be the first of quarterback Joe Burrow’s pro career. Remarkably, Burrow is fully cleared to practice on day one of training camp — eight months after a serious knee injury.

"To be where he is now does not surprise me," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. "It's almost unfairly expected just because we know how he works."

The Bengals are looking for their first winning season since 2015.

The team kicks off their 2021 campaign Sept. 12 at home against the Minnesota Vikings.

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Riley Reiff, according to the team Friday morning.

The Bengals confirmed the news with an 8-second video posted to Twitter which shows Reiff and the word "Signed."

The Bengals seemingly confirmed the signing earlier Friday after they asked people on Twitter if they were "feeling Australian" with the hashtag #GreatBarrierReiff.

Reiff and some of the Bengals current players, including Joe Burrow and Sam Hubbard, had dinner Thursday night in an upstairs room of Jeff Ruby's Precinct.

"I walked away from eating that steak wanting to block for that guy," Reiff said. "I feel like I fit in here."

The veteran lineman should give Burrow some extra protection as he comes off of reconstructive knee surgery.

"Really impressed with [Joe Burrow]," Reiff said. "He looks great on film and he's even better off the field. Just the way he conducts himself. Down to earth. Cincinnati type guy. Tough. Midwestern. Blue collar."

Reiff was the 23rd overall draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2012 and played with them until 2015. In 2017, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings, and in 2018 he was named as one of the team's captains.