Zac Taylor decided to not field Joe Burrow in preseason finale despite him being ready

Zac Taylor rested Joe Burrow amongst other projected starters for preseason game against Indianapolis Colts.

Zac Taylor decided to not field Joe Burrow in preseason finale despite him being ready

Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow (inset) (Image via Imago/Sports Illustrated)

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor opted to rest his star player, Joe Burrow, for the preseason finale although the QB was ready to play. In addition to Burrow, Taylor also decided to rest some other projected starters for the final preseason game.

The preseason finale, however, didn’t end well for the Bengals. In the absence of the star players, Cincinnati couldn’t put up much of a fight against the Indianapolis Colts in their final preseason game. The Bengals lost 27-14. Earlier, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears defeated them in preseason games 1 and 2 respectively.

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I thought the Colts practice was one of his (Joe Burrow) best of the year.
Zac Taylor said in a transcript from the Bengals

The coach added that it reminded him of Burrow’s good games from last year when he was healthy. He thought that they “kind of put the nail in the coffin in training camp” and he believes it is the right direction.

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The rest would do him good as he is only back from a wrist injury. Furthermore, It will help him to be aligned with his plans to stay healthy throughout the season including preseason. The quarterback suffered a wrist injury during Week 11 and didn’t return until the end of the season, last year.

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A ‘ready’ Joe Burrow leads Bengal’s hopes for the new season

Cincinnati Bengals finished 4th in AFC North last year registering only nine wins. Although far better than Zac Taylor’s initial seasons, the Bengals would love to go back to being playoff contenders.

They have reached the finals in both the full seasons played by Burrow. He has also won a “Comeback Player of the Year” during their run to the Super Bowl finals two years ago. It is without a doubt that he is the key hope for the fans.

Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow has recovered from his injury and showcased his skill during the Colts game (via AP News)

The QB recovered and eager to play, is not only instrumental to Bengals resurgence, but also to hinder a Chiefs’ three-peat. Burrow earlier this year said that Bengals are built to beat the defending champions. Cincinnati Bengals will open their tournament against New England Patriots at home. They will face their toughest challenge in Week 2 when they play the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

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