-
Ben Baby
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow will face an old foe for one final time this season.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ star quarterback will play in the team’s season finale against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, coach Zac Taylor reiterated to reporters Monday. The game will mark Burrow’s sixth and final contest since coming back from a turf toe injury that sidelined him for nine games in the middle of the season.
That means Burrow will have to contend with Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett in what could be a historic game. Garrett has 22 sacks and is looking to break the NFL single-season record of 22.5 sacks shared by Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt.
Taylor said there was never consideration of sitting Burrow against Cleveland, which would have shielded him from facing Garrett, someone Taylor called «an absolute nightmare» to go against.
«[Having Burrow] gives us the best chance to win the game,» Taylor said.
Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals.
History could be in favor of Garrett breaking the mark Sunday in Cincinnati. Since being drafted with the first overall pick in 2017, he has sacked 51 different players in his career. Garrett has sacked Burrow and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson 12 times, his high against a single player. Two of those came this season. In Week 1, Burrow was sacked on three straight plays in a 17-16 win in Cleveland. Garrett had the first two sacks during that sequence.
In his news conference Monday, Taylor noted that this is not the first time Garrett could secure a personal accomplishment against the Bengals. Last year, Garrett sacked Burrow for his 100th career sack.
«He’s the best defensive player on planet Earth,» Taylor said. «Can’t put [it] in words. I mean, he’s hard to describe what your plan has to be when you play against him. It’s all hands on deck.»
A couple of factors could help keep Burrow upright Sunday. Taylor noted that this is the best offensive line Cincinnati has fielded during his seven seasons.
And despite missing a large chunk of the season with the toe injury that required surgery, Burrow has enjoyed good form recently. He is coming off back-to-back 300-yard passing performances.
After he steered Cincinnati to a 37-14 win over Arizona, Burrow addressed the notion that games can be considered meaningless if there are no playoff stakes involved.
«Every time we go out there, we’re putting our bodies on the line, going out and trying to prove ourselves in front of the world,» Burrow said after beating the Cardinals. «Playoffs are out of the question, obviously. But anytime you step foot out there, you’re playing for pride, playing for your guys, trying to execute, and trying to put good stuff on tape.»
