With their backs against the wall, facing an 0-3 start and a two-game deficit compared to the rest of the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals took a chance by playing start quarterback Joe Burrow while less than 100% with a calf injury.
It wasn’t pretty, the Bengals and Los Angeles Rams combined for just two offensive touchdowns, but Burrow and company got the job done, holding off the Rams for a 19-16 victory to improve to 1-2 on the season.
Burrow actually threw for a season high of 259 yards, but he was an inefficient 26 of 29 and had one interception and no touchdowns. The lone Cincinnati touchdown was a 14-yard Joe Mixon run in the third quarter that gave the Bengals the lead for good.
Two plays later, Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson intercepted Matthew Stafford and Evan McPherson added on his third field goal to make it a two-score game. The Rams finally got a touchdown with 1:03 to play on a Stafford pass to Tutu Atwell, but Cincinnati recovered the onside kick to win the game.
“We got through it,” Burrow said to ESPN after the game. He reported no setbacks on his calf injury, which he aggravated in Week 2.
Burrow originally suffered the injury back in training camp, and missed the Cincinnati preseason, but returned to action in time to start the regular season opener.
He re-injured his calf in Cincinnati’s Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week. Burrow told reporters earlier this week that the 0-2 start to the season for the Bengals, with AFC North losses to the Ravens and Cleveland Browns, heightened his level of urgency to return to the lineup.
“It’s in my head, for sure,” he said. “I’m thinking about it.”
The Bengals are now one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, Browns and Ravens, who are tied for first place. Cincinnati will go on the road for its Week 4 game at the Tennessee Titans, who lost to the Browns on Sunday.
AFC NORTH STANDINGS
| Overall | AFC North | AFC | Head-to-head | |
| Steelers | 2-1 | 1-0 | 2-0 | CLE 1-0 |
| Ravens | 2-1 | 1-0 | 2-1 | CIN 1-0 |
| Browns | 2-1 | 1-1 | 2-1 | CIN 1-0, PIT 0-1 |
| Bengals | 1-2 | 0-2 | 0-2 | CLE 0-1, BAL 0-1 |
UPCOMING AFC NORTH SCHEDULE
Week 4
Sunday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m. Ravens at Browns
Sunday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m. Steelers at Houston Texans
Sunday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m. Bengals at Tennessee Titans