Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is the latest NFL legend to offer an opinion on the Cincinnati Bengals’ struggles this season. During the broadcast of Monday Night Football, Aikman called out Cincinnati’s defense while gushing over quarterback Joe Burrow.
Troy Aikman thinks that Joe Burrow deserves better
“You know how much I think of Joe Burrow and I can only imagine the frustration that he’s feeling. I know the entire organization is [frustrated],” Aikman said. “But for him to play at the level at he has. Usually if your a team that’s not playing well, it usually coincides with your quarterback not playing well.
“For him to be having the year that he’s had and them not win, it just reflects how poorly the defense has played,” Aikman added. “He’s awfully fun to watch, it’s not what anyone would’ve thought for the Cincinnati Bengals.”
Aikman has had some questionable takes in the past, but he’s completely correct in this situation. Cincinnati’s defense has let Burrow and the Bengals down time and again this season. One particular stat really puts the team’s defensive issues into perspective.
The Bengals have four losses this season in games that they scored at least 33 points, while the rest of the entire NFL has just one. That tells you pretty much everything you need to know about Cincinnati’s season.
The Bengals are 2-4 when scoring 33 or more this season đŹ pic.twitter.com/B0HtY8B1XO
â NFL on CBS đ (@NFLonCBS) December 1, 2024
Aikman’s comments come on the heels of similar comments from San Francisco 49ers legend Steve Young, who also absolved Burrow of any wrongdoing while pointing a finger at ownership.
âI think what you gotta do is not look at Joe Burrow.â Young said. âYou probably have to look at everyone else. We donât do a good job of looking at the owner in the NFL.
And I think we should do more of that, personally, because I think it speaks to a lot of whatâs happening on the field. Of course, we canât fire the ownersâŠIâm just saying when things look really weird, go to the top and then work down.â
At the end of the day, there’s plenty of blame to go around when it comes to Cincinnati’s struggles this season, and ownership and defense both deserve their fair share.
But, more important than assigning blame is figuring out how to be better in the future, and taking positive steps in that direction, because the last thing the organization should want to do is waste another MVP-level season from Burrow.
