The Bengals need to accept that there’s only one way they’ll have success with Joe Burrow

The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to figure out how to best utilize quarterback Joe Burrow, while also trying to protect the former LSU football star.

So far, the results have been mixed.

Burrow has displayed flashes of the elite abilities that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

But he’s also looked frustrated at times, probably due to the ridiculous amount of hits he’s taking.

Last week, in a loss to the Chicago Bears, Burrow threw three interceptions on three straight pass attempts.

That’s not the Burrow we’ve come to know over the last couple of years.

The reason for Burrow’s interceptions is somewhat complex. He admitted that he was trying to force something that wasn’t there. But the reason he was trying to force it was because that’s the game plan Cincinnati went with against the Bears. Instead of throwing the ball deep — something Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase wanted to do — they relied on short passes to try to protect Burrow.

Cincinnati is seemingly doing everything right. They’re relying on input from Burrow — way more input than a second-year quarterback would typically have — and they’re doing their best to protect their franchise quarterback.

But something still feels….off.

Maybe it’s the head coach/quarterback dynamic. It feels like maybe Cincy head coach Zac Taylor is trying to do what he thinks Burrow wants to do, instead of what comes naturally to him as a head coach.

If that’s the case, then there’s an easy solution. And it might be the Bengals’ best shot at future success.

The move the Bengals should make to fully utilize Joe Burrow

There’s one obvious move the Bengals can make that would solve a lot of the Burrow growing pains.

Fire Zac Taylor and hire Joe Brady away from the Carolina Panthers.

The combination of Brady and Burrow lit the college football world on fire in 2019 (Brady was LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2019).

The Bengals are seemingly trying to recreate that relationship with Taylor and Burrow, but there’s no recreating it. Brady and Burrow have something special together that can’t be explained. They just…go together.

There is no better scenario than Brady, Burrow, and Chase together in Cincinnati. If Burrow doesn’t have MVP-caliber success in that situation, then it’s simply not possible.

There’s really no reason to continue to force something that isn’t there. Brady is going to be a head coach soon (he got interviews last offseason).

The Bengals can’t let this opportunity pass by.