With just over a minute left in the Cincinnati Bengals' 37-27 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, broadcast cameras captured a sight that has been familiar on the Cincinnati sideline this season: star quarterback Joe Burrow wasn't thrilled, and he was letting coach Zac Taylor know about it.
A year that started out with championship aspirations has morphed into the Bengals still under .500 with three games left in the regular season and needing significant help in order to reach the postseason.
But on this afternoon at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, Burrow's displeasure had multiple sources, including some he created.
Sure, the Bengals have now won back-to-back games and still have a very small chance of making the playoffs. The performance against the Titans, however, was lacking in Burrow's eyes. Cincinnati had 14 accepted penalties that accounted for 113 yards. Burrow was responsible for three of the team's four turnovers. With Taylor crouched in front of him on the sideline while Burrow was seated on the bench, the quarterback seemed upset by the type of performance that left him wanting.
"It was too sloppy," Burrow said. "We had too many penalties. Too many procedural penalties. I had too many turnovers. It was just a frustrating day on offense."
The Bengals (6-8) were buoyed by a Titans team that had an even more lackluster showing. Starting quarterback Will Levis had nearly half as many interceptions (3) as completions (8) before he was finally benched in favor of backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, who also committed a turnover. Tennessee actually had a 14-7 lead at one point before all the giveaways tilted the game in Cincinnati's favor.
When he spoke to reporters after the game, Taylor didn't have much to offer regarding the exchange caught by the Fox broadcast.
"Just a back-and-forth conversation," Taylor said.
But he did agree with Burrow's critique of the team's lack of sharpness. Since 2019, when Taylor took over as the team's head coach, the Bengals have been called for the fewest penalties in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Cincinnati's 15 called penalties, including one that was declined, were the most in a single game in Taylor's six-year coaching tenure.
"Penalties [were] unacceptable on offense," Taylor said. "Way too many of them. Way below our standard."
There were a few bright spots. Burrow was 26-of-37 passing for 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The last scoring throw gave him 36 passing touchdowns this year, which broke his own franchise record he set in 2022.
Burrow also threw a touchdown pass to defensive end Sam Hubbard, someone he has known since their playing days at Ohio State. Lined up as a blocker, Hubbard leaked out from the formation and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, marking the first touchdown reception by a primary defensive player in Bengals franchise history, per ESPN Research.
However, that was his final play of the game. He suffered a right knee injury on the catch and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game. Taylor said the team will get more information about the injury's severity on Monday.
Hubbard told reporters in Nashville that he believes he could have injured the PCL in his right knee and will get an MRI to gather more information.
"Whatever it is, I'm happy to get the win," Hubbard said. "Happy to be a spark for the team."
That play tied the game at 14 in the first half. The Bengals didn't trail the rest of the day. The win against Tennessee and coach Brian Callahan, who was the Bengals' offensive coordinator for the first five years of Taylor's tenure, helped ensure that Cincinnati will not be eliminated from playoff contention this week.
Burrow said it was "absolutely" notable. But he did temper that with a bit of realism, especially when he and the team weren't at their best on Sunday.
"It's always in the back of your mind until you're out of it," Burrow said of the postseason odds after Week 15. "But we know the chances are very slim. What I'm focused on is playing as good as we can play, myself playing up to my standard. That's why I was so frustrated. I didn't feel like we did that today."