Bengals' Joe Burrow says response to losses matters down stretch - ESPN

CINCINNATI — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow rubbed his chin and stared forward as he pondered what's next for the team amid a very disappointing season.

Sunday's 44-38 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was the latest setback for a team that started the year with championship aspirations. Once again, Burrow said the playoffs were the furthest thing from his mind as Cincinnati's odds for making the postseason slipped considerably.

And with five games remaining, Burrow said how players respond will speak volumes about how the roster will be built moving forward.

«I think we'll learn a lot about who we have in the locker room — the guys we can count on going forward and guys that we can't,» Burrow said after the game.

Cincinnati's fifth-year quarterback and the rest of the offense did plenty early to keep the Bengals (4-8) in contention for a crucial AFC North win. But again, the offensive firepower wasn't enough to overcome Cincinnati's defensive issues.

The Bengals allowed 520 total yards, matching a season high, and surrendered a season-high 44 points — though seven came on a strip sack of Burrow that was returned for a touchdown by the Steelers.

The Bengals are the first team in NFL history to lose four games or more when scoring at least 33 points, per ESPN research.

When asked about the disparity between scoring and success, receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who leads the league in receiving yards (1,142) and receiving touchdowns (13), said it's hard to process that Cincinnati can't get a win. The Bengals have lost four of their last five games, including three in a row.

«It's kind of our expectation now,» Chase, who had a team-high 86 receiving yards and a touchdown in the loss, said of the offense having such a small margin