A Look at the Rams' Week 3 Matchup Against the Cincinnati Bengals

Uncertainty for Bengals QB Joe Burrow

If things weren't bad enough for the Bengals, it appears there is a chance he will not be available for the Week 3 matchup against the Rams. He is listed as questionable and we probably won't know his status until Monday night when the final injury report is due, but the news coming out is he is more uncertain about his status now than he was going into his week 1 matchup with the same calf injury he obtained before the season began.

I always hate when players get injured and it is certainly not the best way to come away with wins, but if Bengals starting quarterback Joe Burrow does not play, this will drastically increase the odds of an LA Rams win. If that happens, the Rams will improve their record to 2-1.

Right now, the Bengals are not only 0-2, but are 0-2 in the AFC North Division. A record of 0-3 appears to be more than they will be able to come back from if a berth in the NFL Playoffs was the goal for this season.

If Burrow is indeed sidelined, Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning will be drafted to start for the Bengals. Browning is an Undrafted Free Agent from the University of Washington who spent his first year in the NFL on the Vikings practice squad before signing with the Bengals. While he had plenty of college experience, he has never taken a snap in the NFL.

Still, Rams fans should not write him off as a sure win if he gets the nod. In college, he was the PAC 12 offensive player of the year and was selected to First Team All-PAC-12 in 2016. During his tenure in college, he completed 958 of 1484 passes for 12,296 yards, 94 touchdowns, and 34 interceptions with a passer rating of 150.5.