Rams vs. Bengals Preview: Burrow Injury Opens the Door for Upset

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford may not be dueling with Cincinnati Bengals passer Joe Burrow under the bright lights of Monday Night Football.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay’s fingerprints are all over the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Zac Taylor was McVay’s quarterback coach before leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where they of course lost to the Rams. To this day, staples of the offense can be traced back to the youngest head coaching hire in league history.

While paths have diverged since Los Angeles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, these two teams are on a crash course for another tightly-contested matchup.

The Rams have come out of the gate firing, fueling receiver Puka Nacua’s record-breaking start to the season. They are 1-1 after two divisional games, but have let the league know the offense has returned after a docile 2022.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, is yet to look right. Quarterback Joe Burrow is dealing with a calf strain that he re-aggravated before the Week 3 contest. The Bengals are 0-2 and yet to look like a team led by one of the league’s best passers.

If he does play, he’ll undoubtedly be hampered in a similar fashion, allowing a young Rams defense to play with a little more confidence. The lethally precise version of Burrow won’t be trotting out there on Monday night.

There’s an increasing chance that Burrow sits this one out. If he does, it’ll likely be backup quarterback Jake Browning’s mission.

“We’re prepared for that,” McVay said on Friday, regarding Burrow being ready to go. “Whether it’s Joe or whether it’s Browning it’s going to be a really great challenge for us.”

If Los Angeles is going up against a Burrow-less Cincinnati team, there is little excuse to escape without victory. The Rams have put up 53 points, compared to the Bengals’ 27, and the peripheral statistics back it up. They won’t be right until Burrow is.

Browning pales in comparison to Rams passer Matthew Stafford, and these opening weeks have shown Los Angeles is talented enough to at least compete with some of the best teams in football.

If the Rams are going to be as competitive as McVay hopes, they must win the “gimmes.” An ailing, or absent, Burrow is as close to one as Los Angeles can expect to see.

WHAT: Los Angeles Rams (1-1) vs Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

WHERE: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH (65,515)

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, 5:15 p.m. (PT)

TELEVISION: ESPN

RADIO: ESPNLA 710 AM, Tu Liga Radio 1330 AM

ODDS: Rams +2.5 (-110), +125 Moneyline, Total: 43.5 (o -110/u -110)

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