Joe Burrow has provided hope for the Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow, despite a 1-2-1 start, has given hope to Cincinnati Bengals fans.

The Cincinnati Bengals record after four weeks of the 2020 NFL season isn’t good. That’s a fact. Truth be told, it’s been a rough cycle for the past 17 seasons, 16 of which were spent under the stewardship of Marvin Lewis. Even if they had winning seasons, those years amounted to zero playoff wins and a fanbase longing for signs of change and hope.

Change was needed, without a question. Enter head coach Zac Taylor, a young coach and an opportunity to start fresh. That didn’t translate to success in year one, however, as Taylor’s first year resulted in the worst record in the league, 2-14.

Thus, they ended up with the No. 1 overall pick and an opportunity to remake the franchise. At the time, quarterback Joe Burrow was coming off a historic season at LSU where he went 15-0 and led the Tigers to the national title. Cincinnati made the decision and the Athens, OH native was coming home. And to this point, that’s proven to be the right call.

Joe Burrow is what the Cincinnati Bengals needed with a No. 1 overall pick.

It’s easy for the casual fan to point to the 1-2-1 record and proclaim that the Cincinnati Bengals still stink, Joe Burrow or not. Record-wise, they make a valid argument. They neglect to mention, however, that the team is in a rebuilding process.

What’s the first rule of building a successful team? Get a quarterback. And the Bengals did just that. Burrow is on a rookie contract, which means there a window where the Bengals can stack the pieces around him and maximize the opportunities.

Rule No. 2 is to protect your quarterback. Two out of the five pieces are in place with left tackle Jonah Williams and center Billy Price. Now they must grab the other three. Evidence of the offensive line not being complete was displayed during a tie against the Eagles in Week 3 when Burrow was sacked eight times.

With his current arsenal, Burrow has a QBR of 53.6 with a 65.5 percent completion rate. He has passed for over 1,121 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. Completing over 65 percent of your passes is impressive in the NFL, as is Burrow’s ability to take care of the ball. But he has also been sacked 18 times this season. That’s not a good look as better protection yields better results.

Getting your quarterback some weapons is the third rule of rebuilding. After Burrow was taken in Round 1, the team selected Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins. Though he only has two touchdowns in four games, he has shown potential. In addition, he comes from a school that has been kind to wide receivers, such as DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins.

The Bengals already had Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green before they added Higgins. In essence, they have satisfied this rule. However, Green is getting up there in age, which means a replacement will be needed. That very well may turn out to be Higgins.

Finally, an offense can only do so much without a defense, which is why the fourth rule of rebuilding boils down to getting players who can get after the opposing team’s quarterback.

Throughout the first four weeks of the 2020 season, the Bengals defense ranks 27th against the run and 16th against the pass. In other words, it’s not good. Those stats will not accumulate to success. What’s the solution? Drafting and developing good defensive players.

Case in point, the division in which Burrow plays in, the AFC North, features two quarterbacks who also won the Heisman trophy but have a greater supporting cast. Plus, the third quarterback has two Super Bowl rings that were won with a good supporting cast on both sides of the ball.

Burrow is only going to do what the offense allows him to do; he can’t play defense. Moreover, no big free agent will consider the Bengals just yet. His record is not an ideal one but he has shown promise, something the Bengals have been wanting to see for the last two decades.