Joe Burrow: “Losing isn’t very fun”

[Who Dey]

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Last year, Joe Burrow played 15 games and lost none. This year, he has played two games. And lost both.

“Losing isn’t very fun,” Burrow told reporters after Thursday’s 35-30 loss to the Browns. “This might be the only time in my sporting career that I have lost two games in a row. It doesn’t feel very good. I know that the guys in there are hurting. We are going to come back to work tomorrow and try to get this thing right. Losing is unacceptable to me, to everyone in there, to coach [Zac] Taylor and to everybody in this organization. We are just going to have to get it fixed.”

It’s an admirable attitude, but it’s likely not something that will quickly change. The Bengals have Burrow because they went 2-14 last year.

“I will never adjust or accept losing,” Burrow added. “That is just something that is not in my mindset so this 0-2 start is really hurting me. I know it is hurting Coach and everybody in there. We will never adjust to losing. We will never accept losing. We are just going to have to get it right.”

They have a few extra days to get it right before playing again, next Sunday at Philadelphia.

And the wins will come. The Bengals could have won both of their games this year. And Burrow improved significantly from Sunday to Thursday, ironing out the occasions in which he tried to do too much while completing 37 of 61 passes.

The 61 attempts are No. 2 in franchise history (behind Jon Kitna’s 68), and the most ever in a Bengals’ non-overtime game. Also, the 37 completions tie Carson Palmer for No. 2 on the Bengals’ single-game list. The performance has drawn widespread praise for the first overall pick in the draft.

“[W]e are 0-2,” Burrow said. “That is all that matters.”

With that kind of attitude, and given the way he performed last night, the wins definitely will come.