(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Once again, the Cincinnati Bengals are considered an elite team this season, and some may even be picking them to win the AFC and reach the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.
However, their 2023 season has gotten off to a very poor start.
They got humiliated by the upstart Cleveland Browns, 24-3, on Sunday, and star quarterback Joe Burrow looked about as bad as he has ever looked since coming to the NFL in 2020.
He completed just 14 of his 31 pass attempts for only 82 yards and had a passer rating of just 52.2, which virtually no one expected from him, not even die-hard Browns fans.
However, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin said on “Undisputed” that he’s not worried about Burrow or the Bengals.
.@MichaelIrvin88 still believes in Joe Burrow and the Bengals: pic.twitter.com/64AZmc1MqH
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 11, 2023
The Browns, who struggled on the defensive side of the football last season, could be reinvigorated in that department thanks to some new additions.
Defensive end Za’Darius Smith, who had four hits on Burrow, gives Myles Garrett a strong partner on the edge, while defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson should shore up what was a poor rushing defense in 2022.
Cincinnati was held to just 75 rushing yards on Sunday, while star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase only managed five receptions for 39 yards.
The team will have another difficult divisional matchup next week when they host the Baltimore Ravens, a team that has emerged as a dark-horse squad in the AFC.
Afterward, however, the Bengals’ schedule will get easier — they will play the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals in the following three weeks.
The post Michael Irvin Remains Confident In 1 Struggling Team appeared first on The Cold Wire.