From USA Today:
It’s time to shut down Joe Burrow for a bit
The highest-paid player in NFL history is not the sole reason the Bengals have fumbled to a 1-3 start. But the team’s limitations in crafting an offensive scheme to account for his injured right calf is. The Bengals scored just three points in a loss Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, marking the second time in four weeks that Cincy has scored only a field goal in a defeat.
Perhaps Burrow’s injury is such that it compromises his footwork, making the downfield passing game nonviable. But just one of Burrow’s 20 completions was caught 10 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Only four of his 30 attempts were thrown 10 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. The Bengals rank dead last in the NFL in yards per play (4.0) and passing yards per attempt (4.36). As a result, the offense is putting far too much pressure on the defense and frustrations are setting in.