Packers Might've Given Bengals Blueprint for Winning With Star QB Battling Calf Injury

Joe Burrow is dealing with a calf strain. Aaron Rodgers suffered a similar injury in 2014.

Author:
Elise Jesse
Publish date:
Sep 24, 2023 10:01 AM EDT

In this story:

Joe Burrow and the Bengals are facing the same story lines they did last year. The big playoff stats are being thrown out again now that the team has started 0-2 for a second-straight season. Their 11.5% chance of making the playoffs is starting to ring throughout popular NFL shows too.

Burrow didn’t practice on Thursday. His Friday featured a ride in the golf cart with Mike Brown at the wheel. He’s simply not healthy, which makes sense because the highest paid player in the league has not looked like himself lately.

The 26-year old confirmed tweaking his right calf again on Sunday, and his status for Monday's primetime matchup with the Rams is up in the air. He's still doing everything possible to be ready with an extra day of rest under his belt.

Calf injuries are common in the NFL and players play hurt all the time. With 17 games in the regular season, it is a necessary evil that many players must deal with to reach their Super Bowl dreams.

“The teams that come out on top at the end of it are the teams that handle that adversity the best," Burrow said Thursday.

History shows us that teams can win with hobbled quarterback. Green Bay's playoff run in 2014 is a perfect example. While they faced adversity later in their season, they showed how winning with immobility under center is possible. Aaron Rodgers was having a productive year, having already thrown 32 touchdowns and the Packers were nearing the end of their regular season, still in the hunt for the NFC's top seed.

At 31 years old, Rodgers suffered a slight tear in his left calf in Week 16 against Tampa Bay. He handled the adversity and and the Packers nearly made it to the Super Bowl.

He played in the regular season finale the following week against the Detroit Lions and re-injured his calf during that game forcing him to the sidelines for two series before he was able to return to the field.

Rodgers completed 17-of-22 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. One of the NFL’s most prolific passers handed the ball off 38 times with running back Eddie Lacy seeing the bulk of the work: 26 carries for 100 yards.

The first six plays of Green Bay’s opening possession featured Lacy and James Starks in the ground game. The Packers knew their quarterback’s mobility was hampered for the playoffs and made up for it with a heavy rushing attack. They’d end up winning the game 30-20, earning themselves a first-round bye.

Like Burrow did on Thursday, Rodgers missed practice as he tried to heal the lingering injury with his team entering the playoffs. His calf wasn’t right, he wasn’t fully healthy but he was doing his best to overcome the injury, much like Cincinnati’s quarterback is currently doing.

“I'm preparing like I'm going to go out and play a Monday Night Football game,” Burrow said on Thursday. “Whether that happens, I don't know but I'm going to be prepared to.”

Rodgers wasn’t taking reps but he was still preparing to face the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the postseason. That week it was reported that Rodgers was getting aggressive treatment and resting to make sure he felt as well as possible by game day.

The start of Green Bay’s first series against Dallas was similar to Detroit. Seven of the first eight plays of the first series featured Lacy and the ground game. The Packers trotted out the most important player on their team at the time onto the field and led with a significant rushing attack with Lacy eclipsing 100 yards and forcing the Cowboys defense to play honest.

The game plan for Rogers still played to his individual strengths leaning heavily on the aerial attack with Rodgers throwing for 316 yards and three touchdowns, but it started with the run. Green Bay would go on to beat Dallas 26-21.

The Packers now turned their focus on the NFC Championship with Seattle on deck, a team who dealt them their first loss of the season in Week 1. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, Green Bay was trailing 22-19 and as Rodgers limped on the injured calf as he led the march downfield setting up Mason Crosby’s fifth field goal of the game. Crosby hit the 48-yard FG to force overtime. Seattle would send the Packers home with a 28-22 win in overtime.

Even though the two injuries happened at different parts of the season, the Bengals are hoping for similar results. The steaks were high for Green Bay nine seasons ago and the steaks are high for Cincinnati today. They're 0-2 and facing a Rams team that has exceeded expectations early this season, despite not having star wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

The Bengals have a loaded cast of weapons surrounding Burrow with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon much like the Packers had around Rodgers in 2014 with Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson and Lacy.

Winning with an injured quarterback is possible, and similar to Green Bay, Cincinnati has a quarterback who shows no sign of quitting when the road gets tough. Rodgers demonstrated that while the journey is not easy, winning can be accomplished.

Can Burrow rise to the occasion like Rodgers did before him? Can he overcome the mental heaviness that comes with injury? Can Cincinnati's staff dial up a game plan that puts less pressure on the passing game?

Burrow's game status was listed as Questionable on Saturday. If he gets clearance to play we should expect to see him elevate much like Rodgers did in 2014. We’ll find out If this current Bengals team can overcome the trials and tribulations that come with an injury to the most important player on the team when the primetime stage sets up a rematch of Super Bowl 56 on Monday night at Paycor Stadium.

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