Joe Burrow Just Made the Stakes Higher For the Raiders

The Cincinnati Bengals' superstar just laid out the energy for the Las Vegas Raiders. Can they match it?

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) stands on the sidelines after throwing an interception in the 4th quarter at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The Bengals lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 37-17 and remain winless at home. / Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2-6 Las Vegas Raiders know how important their Week 9 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals is. The team already has bleak chances of making it to the playoffs, but another loss would just about put the final nail in the coffin.

The stakes are not lost on the Silver and Black.

However, things might have gotten raised a bit higher after Bengals' star quarterback Joe Burrow talked to reporters on Wednesday. The Bengals are 3-5 and their season would take a massive blow with another loss too, especially since they play in a competitive division, the AFC North.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh are very formidable, playoff-caliber teams.

"This is a must-win game," Burrow said. "We're 3-5. You go to 3-6, then you gotta basically win out to get in. Urgency's very high every week from here on out."

The Bengals have dropped multiple winnable games, same as the Raiders.

"This is the situation that we find ourselves in," Burrow said. "We know what we have to do going forward, and we're going to attack that challenge to the best of our ability. And try to give ourselves the best chance to win with my play and try to continue to be as consistent as I can and try to find a win."

The Raiders are approaching the Bengals with a sense of urgency. That doesn't mean personnel like defensive coordinator Patrick Graham won't enjoy the process of preparing for an elite player like Burrow or his plethora of weapons.

"I mean, again, on Monday, you hear us talking in the office like some of the guys have gone against him before," Graham said. "I'm sitting there like, 'Geez, this dude's good, man' and I'm smiling because of the challenge. I understand it causes later nights and some headaches, I guess, but I'm excited to go against him. He's a good player. And then the backs, real impressed with the backs, [Chase] Brown and [Zack] Moss. I mean, in terms of their ability to get into the hole, get to the second level, I think they got a good combination. Again, I think the personnel department has done a good job of putting that staff and that group together, and they're obviously well coached."

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