NFL
Joe Burrow: Winning playoff games the standard to meet for the Bengals
After the Cincinnati Bengals posted their first playoff win in 31 years against the Raiders, Joe Burrow says he is expecting more of the same in January.
Saturday 15 January 2022 is a date which will be remembered in Cincinnati - it was the moment when the Bengals recorded their first playoff win in over three decades. But as far as Joe Burrow is concerned, the 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders is just the start of a new era bonanza en el Paul Brown Stadium.
Burrows told reporters that while he is delighted with the Stripes' reaching the divisional round - the first in 31 years, he hopes that it will become the benchmark now for the Bengals, who require two wins to get to the Super Bowl.
"I think the fans were very excited, but I tried to downplay it because this is how it’s going to be from here on out. This is the standard, the bare minimum going forward," Burrows said.
It had been 31 years since Cinci last won in the playoffs; the club has reached the instant knockout phase seven times ─ five times in straight seasons between 2011 and 2015. During that period, Houston and Pittsburgh blocked their progress on two occasions each; they also fell to defeats by the Jets, Chargers and Colts.
180-degree turnaround
Burrow also revealed that he had hoped to reach the postseason during his rookie season only for a knee injury to quash his dreams. He did admit that in 2020, the Bengals were not as competitive as they are now.
"I thought the drought would end last year but unfortunately, I got injured", he explained. "We weren't super good last year. This year this is the expectation".