The Cincinnati Bengals' stunning upset loss to the New York Jets last Sunday proved that the franchise still needs considerable time to mature and develop into a legitimate playoff contender.
But second-year quarterback Joe Burrow undoubtedly has the talent and confidence to lead the Bengals to greener pastures in the coming seasons. And team radio voice Dan Hoard believes that the former first overall pick already is the AFC North's best signal-caller.
"I think the Bengals have a guy who is potentially going to go down as one of the best, certainly in Bengals history, if not NFL history," Hoard told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "Joe Burrow is that special. He's unbelievable in every way. He's elevated every aspect of the organization with his presence, and that's saying a lot for a guy who's played in just 18 games."
Burrow doesn't believe in moral victories, and he once again made the stance clear while speaking to reporters following Sunday's 34-31 loss. He called the game "frustrating," and admitted that the Bengals' offense came out flat after a solid week of practice and missed out on critical scoring opportunities.
By and large, Burrow wasn't their problem. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 259 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. But they left 11 points on the table in the red zone and committed three turnovers -- including one late in the fourth quarter, leading by five.
Through eight games, Burrow -- who's fully recovered from a knee injury that curtailed his 2020 rookie season -- has resembled a franchise quarterback. He currently ranks third in the NFL in touchdowns (20), sixth in yards (2,215), ninth in completion percentage (67.9), and sixth in quarterback rating (108.0).
Cincinnati (5-3) will visit the rival Cleveland Browns (4-4) in a Week 9 matchup on Sunday afternoon. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Bengals have a 62-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 29-percent chance to win the division.
The entire Cincinnati football conversation between Hoard and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.