Joe Burrow Voices Frustration Over Bengals’ Prime-Time Game in Baltimore

Joe Burrow is not happy about heading to Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium for the fourth straight year.

Joe Burrow Voices Frustration Over Bengals’ Prime-Time Game in Baltimore

Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO)

How many is too many games? Joe Burrow draws the line at 4. That is the number of times that the Cincinnati Bengals have traveled to Baltimore over the past four seasons. The quarterback expressed his frustration over the scheduling and found an unexpected sympathizer in the NFL’s Vice President of Scheduling, Mike North.

The NFL deemed it fit that the Cincinnati Bengals playing a prime-time game in Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium would be ideal, rather than playing at Paycor Stadium. This is surprising because the NFL attempts to avoid sending one divisional rival to the other’s stadium for four consecutive years.

Mike North believes Burrow’s criticism is justified, but despite the league’s best efforts to give home-field advantage to the Bengals, this was the best that they could do.

It’s fair. It’s not a one or two years sort of a league where you fix every problem every other year or every two years. Once you start getting to the same thing three years in a row, four, or five years in a row, whether it’s a short week Thursday on the road or opening on the road…When trends like that emerge, we probably have to adjust at some point.

Mike North said regarding Burrow’s comments via NFL.com

Each season, despite the league’s best efforts, one team is always at a relative disadvantage due to the league’s scheduling. It is a Herculean task to keep all stakeholders happy, and that is the reason the Bengals find themselves headed to M&T Bank Stadium for the fourth straight year. Interestingly, Burrow has played a total of nine games against the Ravens in his career, with five of those matchups being away games.

Mike North believes all NFL teams have one or more issues with the scheduling

The VP defended the league’s scheduling by stating that all 32 NFL teams have one or more problems with the season structure; however, if they wound up resolving each of their issues, then the entire year’s schedule would fall apart.

Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO)

It just ended up as we got down the stretch here, that this was our best schedule, and fully acknowledging that, I’m sure the Bengals fans are a little surprised, and probably a little disappointed, which puts them in the same category as all 31 other teams. Everybody is just a little disappointed in the schedule makers.

North concluded

One of the likely reasons that Baltimore received home-field advantage is that they finished with a better overall season record than the Bengals. Lamar Jackson nearly won MVP, and to watch him battle Joe Burrow on his home turf promises unfiltered entertainment and amazing ratings for the league. Burrow has a 3-6 record when he faces Baltimore.

The team’s primetime game will be in Week 13 on Thursday Night Football. Two weeks later, Cincinnati will host Baltimore at Paycor Stadium. Despite this setback, the Bengals have an interesting schedule this year otherwise. Based on first look, a 12-win season could be in the tank for Joe Burrow and Co.

For the quarterback, he heads into the season with both his receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, intact. The stakes are high for the Bengals this season, and as for Burrow, considering his numbers last season, it will not be surprising if Burrow does go on to win the MVP award this season. The quarterback finished with 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and a passer rating of 108.5, whereas Josh Allen, who won the MVP, had 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a 101.4 passer rating.

Also Read: