Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks off the field following an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Cincinnati. The Ravens won 27-24. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
The Week 3 slate of the 2023 NFL season concludes on Monday night as the sputtering Cincinnati Bengals host the Los Angeles Rams at Paul Brown Stadium.
The big question is where these two teams will stand amidst precarious perches. The Rams pushed the powerful San Francisco 49ers to the limit in Week 2 but fell just short in a 30-23 loss to drop to 1-1 on the young season.
Meanwhile, the Bengals continued their recent trend of slow starts in the Joe Burrow era with an 0-2 start following in-division losses to the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.
Will the Bengals continue their losing streak, or get back on track and find their first win of the season?
Here’s what’s on our radar for tonight:
Will Joe Burrow play?
The NFL’s highest-paid man has a calf injury, thus potentially putting him out of commission for Monday night’s matchup. The Bengals’ star quarterback was unable to practice on Thursday night and will test the calf ahead of kick-off, making him a game-time decision.
There is the obvious debate as to whether the Bengals should risk further damaging his injured calf, thus potentially sparking a long-term injury. But at 0-2 — which has become the norm as the Bengals are 1-7 over the first two games of the last four seasons with Burrow at the helm — the quicker he’s back under center, the better.
Jake Browning, a 27-year-old with just one career pass attempt in the NFL, is Cincinnati’s backup, which could potentially take Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins out of the equation on Monday night.
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