Bengals coach speaks out about possible late strikes from Joe Burrow

CINCINNATI – Bengals coach Zac Taylor took note of some of the hits on Joe Burrow during Thursday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens and said he needs to do more to fight for his quarterback.

“They call it like they see it. I respect that,” Taylor said of the officials Friday. “I just have to keep fighting for some of these things. You don’t want to lose him.” [hit] this is long after the play is over.

Taylor said Burrow isn't the type to commit to penalties during the game. But Taylor said that as a coach, he can be more vocal in such situations, both in public and behind the scenes.

“I have to fight harder for Joe to get some of this,” Taylor said. “Because he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to disrupt the flow of his game, but those are just things I need to talk to him about.”

Burrow was hit 13 times and sacked three times in the 35-34 loss at M&T Bank Stadium. Some of those hits, which came after Burrow released the ball, came in a gray area that could be viewed as roughhousing with the passer.

He also suffered a blow to the face on the failed 2-point conversion attempt that could have given the Bengals the lead with 38 seconds left. Burrow said after the game that the hit was a little too high, but the play didn't turn things around.

Only one hit by Burrow was penalized Thursday, when defensive end Broderick Washington landed his body weight on the quarterback.

After the game, Burrow said the lack of penalties was consistent with what he has experienced throughout his career.

“I feel like I’ve never gotten these calls before,” Burrow said. “So I don’t really expect that. I feel like there was a couple who were close. I don’t expect that either.”

According to ESPN Research, Burrow was pressured on 40% of his dropbacks against the Ravens, the fifth-highest rate of any game in his five-year career. Under pressure, he posted a QBR of 72.6, his highest on the 0-100 scale for any game in which he had a pressure rate of 40% or higher.

Burrow had a great performance against the defending AFC North champions. He was 34 of 56 passing for 428 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Two of those touchdowns saw Cincinnati trailing in the fourth quarter after blowing a 14-point lead in the second half.

During the game, Burrow was seen wincing on the broadcast. But Taylor indicated that Burrow had no rib injuries and was dealing with soreness Friday.

“I mean, he took some good hits,” Taylor said. “But I think I’m just talking to him, the left arm [injury] “It was just a punch, a bruise.”