Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow Believes 10 Victories Is 'Doable'
The Bengals (3-5) have not won at home and lost by 20 points to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8.
Yet, franchise quarterback Joe Burrow refuses to punt on the season. He believes the Bengals can make the playoffs by winning 10 games, which would require them to win seven of their last nine.
"I think 10 wins usually gets you in, so we've got to win seven out of nine," Burrow said via cincinnatibengals.com. "That's doable, so we'll go from there."
For the Bengals to reach 10 wins, they'll need to play better than they did in the second half against Philadelphia, when the Eagles scored the game's final 20 points to pull away for a 37-17 victory. Cincinnati surrendered almost 400 yards (397) in total offense and fell to 0-4 at home.
The Eagles scored on every possession of the second half and Head Coach Zac Taylor is baffled by the team's struggles at home.
"It's frustrating. Everybody deserves better," Taylor said. "We've got great fans, great support, and haven't done enough to reward them. We've got to take accountability for that – players and coaches. We're better than what our record indicates, but your record is what your record is.
"We're in a hole, a hole that I believe we can dig ourselves out of. We're just going to have to find a way to do that."
The Bengals host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) in Week 9.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Hamstring Injury May Sideline Justin Fields
Russell Wilson will make his second start for the Steelers against the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football," but Justin Fields may not be available as Wilson's backup.
Fields tweaked his hamstring late during the practice week, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, who said Fields was likely to get an MRI.
Prior to the injury, Glazer said the Steelers were considering using some packages that included Fields against the Giants. Now Pittsburgh expects to go with Wilson the entire game. Kyle Allen is the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback.
The Steelers (5-2) will take sole possession of first place in the division with a victory, but a loss will drop them back into a first-place tie with the Ravens (5-3).
Cleveland Browns: Jameis Winston, Ken Dorsey Spark Offense
Starting Jameis Winston at quarterback provided the Browns (2-6) with the spark they were seeking.
With Winston making his first start since 2022 and Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey calling plays for the first time this season, the Browns had season-highs in points, passing yards, total yards, and third-down conversion rate during their 29-24 win over the Ravens.
The Browns have a long climb to get back into the division race, but Winston's willingness to throw downfield gave their offense a different look. He recorded eight completions and two touchdowns on passes that traveled at least 15 yards downfield, according to ESPN Research. Deshaun Watson had just nine such completions in seven games before his season-ending Achilles injury.
"Jameis kept telling us that he's going to keep throwing it," said wide receiver Cedric Tillman via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. "He's going to keep coming back to us no matter what."
Dorsey took over the play calling from Head Coach Kevin Stefanski, and Winston liked Dorsey's approach.
"Ken always talks about how we're not going to be conservative," Winston said. "We're going to be aggressive and not conservative. And that's the way he preaches as an offensive coordinator. And that's what we showed, that's what we exemplified."
The Browns host the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) in Week 9.
