Joe Burrow's return may have happened slightly ahead of schedule, but it undoubtedly provided the Bengals with the boost they needed to end their four-game skid.
Burrow himself needed some extra support, too. After working back from a turf toe injury that required surgery, Burrow took the field last week at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium wearing a cleat with a carbon fiber plate and custom orthotic inserted inside the shoe. Comfort isn't a priority at this point, but protection is paramount.
"The shoe can't bend," Burrow said on Wednesday, via The Associated Press. "It's because my toe can't go backward right now, still a little early for that, so just keeps it firm and not bending it back. ... These are the (cleats) that I feel like give me enough space and stability to do what I need to do."
Theoretically, a rigid cleat would limit Burrow's mobility, one of his strengths in his dynamic game. As Burrow proved with his play on Thanksgiving, however, Cincinnati would still rather have him in a stiff shoe than on the sideline in street clothes, especially with the Bengals clinging to fading hopes of climbing back into the AFC North race.
In his first game with the custom footwear, Burrow didn't seem too limited. He was able to move around enough to execute play-action fakes, navigate the pocket, buy time with his legs and fire a handful of sharp passes in key spots, finishing with 261 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore. His biggest challenge, in fact, was the lack of game reps he'd had since suffering the toe injury in September.
By the second half, Burrow had settled in, throwing the Bengals to an upset win over the division rival Ravens.
"(It was) really impressive," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. "I think he kind of summarized it the same way I would. (There were) probably four plays in that first half just kind of uncharacteristic misses that looked strange coming from him because we just aren't used to those. Outside of that, I thought he operated really cleanly. I thought the communication at the line of scrimmage and in and out of the huddle was really good. Then, he was able to extend enough to be a threat and made some big-time throws in the second half."
The average Bengals player knows his chances increase exponentially with Burrow on the field. They just spent 10 weeks learning firsthand how difficult it can be to win without their franchise quarterback, losing all but one of those games. Even if he isn't quite at the peak of his powers, they'd much rather have Burrow on the field than the alternative.
Burrow cleared his first test. Five more await him and the 4-8 Bengals, starting Sunday against the Bills (8-4), with little margin for error.
"Our biggest focus right now is finding a way to beat Buffalo and taking it where it goes from there," coach Zac Taylor said. "Right now, that's really all that matters."
