Bengals Must Protect Joe Burrow Moving Forward, Even if it Means Getting Fined or Penalized

The Ravens had 13 quarterback hits and sacked Joe Burrow three times on Thursday night.

Nov 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) speaks with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was hit, hit and hit some more in Thursday night's 35-34 loss to the Ravens.

Baltimore had plenty of clean hits on the star signal-caller, but they also got away with a few late hits that should've been penalties, including a hit by Marlon Humphrey where he took four steps after the ball was thrown and still hit Burrow (video below).

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor acknowledges that he has to be more vocal about the hits because they're unacceptable.

"I've gotta fight harder for Joe to get some of that because he doesn't want to do it. He doesn't want to disrupt from his flow in the game," Taylor said on Friday. "I just gotta keep fighting for some of that stuff because you don't want to lose him on a play that's well after the play's over."

The hit by Humphrey would be called in any level of football. Burrow was spotted wincing on the sideline while trying to pick up his helmet with his left arm after the play.

Taylor described Burrow as "sore" on Friday. The star quarterback avoided serious injury, but those type of hits are unacceptable.

Whether it's Taylor, Burrow himself, Ja'Marr Chase or any of the other players in the locker room—someone has to step up and make sure opponents, officials and the entire league knows that hitting Burrow like that is unacceptable.

"I feel like I have never gotten those calls. So, I don’t really expect that," Burrow said after the game. "I feel like there were a couple that were close. Again, I don’t expect those.”

The Bengals need to start demanding them or punishing anyone willing to take FOUR steps and hit Burrow after he throws the ball.

Just one week after Bengals center Ted Karras said he regretted not confronting Maxx Crosby for a questionable [at best] hit on Burrow, a cornerback from a division rival got a free shot on him.

In fairness, the Bengals' offensive line probably didn't see the hit by Humphrey in real time, outside of Cody Ford, but this is all about the Bengals' mentality.

They're asking Burrow to do more than any other quarterback in the NFL. On Thursday night he went on the road against a division rival, dropped back 60+ times, diagnosed the defense pre-snap, post-snap, had to make the the right reads and try to lead them to victory.

The Bengals lost, but Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns. If Cincinnati is going to climb out of their 4-6 hole, they're going to do it with Burrow leading the charge.

If he's willing to go into Baltimore with a game plan that was built knowing that he was going to take some hits, his teammates and coaches could do their part to protect him. That includes being enforcers or punishers if a veteran corner like Humphrey who certainly knows what he's doing takes a shot like that on Burrow.

What does that mean?

Taylor, the rest of the coaching staff and the entire roster should be OK with the occasional penalty for defending Burrow both on and off the field.

Otherwise, the Chargers, Steelers and every other opponent the Bengals play this season is going to push the limit because of how valuable Burrow is and the fact that officials aren't calling every late hit on the star quarterback.

It's unacceptable and it can't happen moving forward.

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