Cincinnati isn’t playing for a championship this time, though it might feel like the season is on the line. The Bengals are looking to make a run over their last seven games, just like they did that Super Bowl season when they collected a win at Las Vegas after a bye and won five of the next seven games on their way to an AFC North title.
“Find a way to get one,” Burrow said. “Just try to make the plays down the stretch. Got to find a way.
“It’s got to be like that from here on out. We’ve got to get this one. It’s a big one. Prime time. I’m always excited to showcase what we can do in that situation and we know we have to go win.”
The Bengals are coming off a “mini-bye” with the weekend off following the Thursday Night game last week at Baltimore. Burrow said the extra few days were helpful to the players that need some extra recovery at this stage in the season, including himself after coming out of the Ravens game with some soreness.
After the Week 11 matchup in L.A., Cincinnati has its bye week, and six games to secure a spot in the playoffs.
“We’re just trying to find wins this point,” Burrow said. “You’d like one to turn into two, turn into three, but the only way you can do that is to focus on the day-to-day and so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Much of the hype around this one centers on the two quarterbacks that will be playing against each other for just the second time since they came out of the 2020 draft together.
Justin Herbert, the No. 6 overall pick that year, threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Chargers to a 41-22 win against Burrow and the Bengals in December 2021 when they first met in an NFL game. Burrow, who had 300 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions that day, also lost to the Chargers in the 2020 opener, his NFL debut, but Herbert did not play.
Burrow is playing the best football of his career right now, while Herbert is starting to get in a better rhythm after a slow start.
“I think Justin’s great,” Burrow said. “He’s got one of the strongest arms in the league. He plays football the right way. He can run around and make plays when he needs to. Big, strong guy that can make plays with his legs too. Tough guy that’s gonna stand there and take hits. I’ve always had a ton of respect for him.”
Burrow said he got to know Herbert at the NFL Combine in preparation for their draft, and if they ever spent time together after that, they probably would have become friends.
Right now, Burrow is more worried about how to attack the Chargers’ defense, which has been the best in the league in terms of limiting opponents to just 13.1 points per game. The way Herbert is leading a mistake-free offense also could impact the game for Burrow. L.A. has just four turnovers this season.
“They’re really good at that,” Burrow said. “Our possessions will probably be limited just like we played the old Baltimore teams. They’re going to run the ball well, get into manageable third downs, they’re not going to turn it over there going to keep everything in front on defense and try to shorten the game. So, we had to find ways to take opportunities down the field but score on as many possessions as we can.”
Burrow could be getting another weapon back if Tee Higgins shows enough progress in his first practice reps this week since injuring his quad in an Oct. 25 practice, but the Bengals are figuring out how to get Ja’Marr Chase open despite having defenses’ full attention.
Chase is coming off the second 260-yard receiving performance of his career, and Burrow said Chase has his own ways of telling him to get him the ball. The Bengals have moved him around to different spots to help create more opportunities, and the duo is taking advantage.
“Credit to our coaching staff for coming up with finding all these different ways to get him the ball,” Burrow said. “I think he’s really taken a step this year as far as understanding zone coverage, understanding what his job is and all these different little details on these routes. I think he’s just continuing to get better, as crazy as that sounds.
“If we are doing that and moving him around teams can’t take him away. Just finding ways to get him the ball in so many different situations. When we are moving him around like that teams can’t just focus in on him and say we are going to cloud this side or double when we play man. You just always have to be aware of where he’s at.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Chargers, 8:20 p.m., NBC, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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