Bengals weighing whether to play starters against Browns
With the Bengals clinching the AFC North and securing a postseason berth, coach Zac Taylor has a decision to make on whether to play his starters this week against the Browns.
The only scenario it would make sense to do so would be to try and get the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC but several dominoes would have to fall for that to be achievable. The Bengals are currently the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
Quarterback Joe Burrow, who suffered a knee injury in the final moments of Sunday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs, might benefit from some rest but maintains he doesn't need it.
Burrow said following the 34-31 win that his right knee injury is "nothing serious," and if the team needed him to finish the game to win, he would have been able to go back in. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Burrow's knee got "twisted up," and that's why he came out. Burrow left the field in visible pain, but while walking to the locker room to celebrate with teammates, appeared to be moving better.
"Joe's good," Taylor said on Monday. "He seems to be in a good mindset right now."
Taylor was asked if he has made a decision on if he'll play Burrow in Cleveland, and the Bengals' head coach declined
to say.
"I don't know if I would be able to answer that about any player at this moment," Taylor said.
Burrow's injury was not to the same knee he had surgically repaired last year.
"It's my right knee that was a little sore after the Chargers game, I think it was," Burrow said. "I just re-aggravated it a little bit."
The first injury report of the week will come out on Wednesday.