Bengals will stick with Joe Burrow as starting QB despite lingering calf injury

Zac Taylor made it clear the Cincinnati Bengals are not going to sit quarterback Joe Burrow as he continues to deal with a lingering calf strain.
Taylor was asked point blank if Burrow is going to start and play against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
“Yeah … that's a strange question,” Taylor said.
Is it a strange question, though? Cincinnati’s fifth-year head coach then was asked if he believes his offense can operate at a high enough level with Burrow’s current status.
“Yeah, I do.”
So, if Taylor believes the offense can play at a high level with Burrow’s condition, what is the reasoning for the Bengals being the NFL’s worst offense in points per game (12.3) with almost every starter returning from the 2022 team?
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The questions about Burrow’s calf and if it’s limiting the Bengals’ offense will continue until Cincinnati proves otherwise. Following the 27-3 blowout loss to the Titans, Taylor admitted his quarterback is hampered to some degree. Opposing defenses will continue to pressure Burrow until he proves he can be mobile enough to avoid pressure.
Tennessee hit Burrow nine times and sacked him three times in the loss. Titans All-Pro defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said following the game the No. 1 key for the Titans to win was to “assault the middle of the pocket and affect the quarterback.”
Taylor and Burrow are committed to making something work instead of sitting the 26-year-old quarterback and letting backup quarterback Jake Browning run the offense for a few games. The team also signed former quarterback AJ McCarron as its third option. It appears the Bengals aren’t considering resting Burrow, hoping his calf improves in the next few weeks.
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How does Cincinnati get back on track?
The puzzling piece of the equation is that the Bengals felt like they were going to get on track after beating the Rams in Week 4 and Burrow having what Taylor called a “good” week of practice. Burrow was listed as a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday last week. The offense looked like its old self on the first drive against the Titans.
Then, it took a turn for the worse in the second quarter and by the end of the game, all the questions about what the offense can be with Burrow’s current condition came swirling back. The Bengals scored three points against the Titans and were 2-of-9 on third down. Burrow currently ranks 32nd in completion percentage (57.6%).
Burrow is the first quarterback in NFL history to attempt at least 150 passes in his team’s fist four games of a season and average fewer than five yards per attempt on those passes, according to ESPN’s stats and information.
Taylor, the Bengals’ play-caller on offense, put the onus on himself to get the Bengals operating at a higher level knowing the pressure is going to come from their upcoming opponents.
“We just gotta continue to game plan for it,” Taylor said. “Again, I don’t want to give all the answers in this room because then Arizona will just do it. But again, that’s on us. That’s on me, really, as a play caller, to find ways to get this team in the end zone earlier in the game so that we can play better complementary football as a team.”