Joe Burrow: Bengals ‘Have to Find a Way to Win Games’ After Loss to Browns

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Joe Burrow has played just two NFL games and already looks like a star in the making.

However, individual accolades are not what he is focused on right now. Instead, he wants to win.

“We lost,” he said following Thursday’s 35-30 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns, per Bengals reporter Marisa Contipelli. “That’s the only thing that matters. We have to find a way to win games.”

He certainly doesn’t have much experience losing after playing collegiately for powerhouses Ohio State and LSU. That reality started to hit home following an 0-2 start to the 2020 campaign.

“This might [be] the only time in [my] sporting career I’ve lost two in a row,” he said, per Jay Morrison of The Athletic. “It doesn’t feel very good. Losing is unacceptable.”

Burrow threw for 316 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the defeat while adding 19 rushing yards. He did it all while under constant duress behind a poor offensive line. Pro Football Focus noted he had an average of just 2.40 seconds to throw during Thursday’s contest.

By comparison, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had 3.38 seconds on average while putting up worse individual numbers (219 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception).

Mayfield was impressed enough to say of his counterpart, “The hype is real,” per Jake Trotter of ESPN.

Burrow even earned praise from LeBron James:

“We’re 0-2,” Burrow said when informed of the King’s tweet, per Ben Baby of ESPN. “That’s all that matters.”

He will have a chance for his first NFL win in Week 3 when he faces a Philadelphia Eagles squad that lost its opener to the Washington Football Team.