The New England Patriots will try to extend their win streak to nine games Sunday when they clash with the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 12.
The Bengals have struggled all season with a 3-7 record, but their best player — superstar quarterback Joe Burrow — could make his return to the field after suffering a turf toe injury in Week 2 that required surgery.
Burrow practiced all week, but he is officially listed as questionable on Cincinnati’s official injury report. He was a full participant in Wednesday and Thursday’s practices, and then was limited Friday.
UPDATE (Saturday, Nov. 22): The Bengals have decided to keep Burrow on injured reserve this weekend, meaning has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Patriots, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports.
How has the Bengals’ uncertainty at quarterback impacted the Patriots’ preparation this week?
“It really hasn’t,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters in a press conference Friday. “The stuff they’ve always done and will do is gonna remain the same. Joe (Burrow) is more mobile than Joe (Flacco) is.
“Both are going to run the same concepts and same plays and look to get the ball in the same places. I would imagine with Joe being a little younger, he’ll be a bit more mobile, but we’ll have to be ready for whatever happens Sunday.”
Burrow’s return would be a nice boost for a desperate Bengals squad whose playoff hopes are pretty slim. That said, veteran backup Joe Flacco has actually performed pretty well as the starter in Burrow’s absence.
Flacco has thrown 12 touchdowns with just three interceptions in five starts since joining the Bengals ahead of Week 6 in October. He threw for 470 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions against the Chicago Bears in Week 9 but Cincinnati lost because its defense allowed 47 points.
The Bengals defense has been historically bad this season, allowing a league-high 418.2 yards and 33.4 points per game.
So, even if Burrow does make his return Sunday versus the Patriots, it might not matter a whole lot if the Bengals defense isn’t capable of slowing down Drake Maye and New England’s offense.
It also should be noted that Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended for Sunday’s game after an act of unsportsmanlike conduct against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
