Mike Gesicki Takes Blame for Missed Chance on Possible Game-Winning TD From Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow got the look he wanted and made the throw he needed to squelch – if not drive a stake through the heart of – any debate about his clutch gene.

Trailing by five with 1:44 to go, Burrow walked into a huddle that was missing wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who were felled by a concussion and adductor injury, respectively.

But Burrow needed just three plays to take the Bengals from their own 17-yard line to the Jacksonville 21.

The first pass went to a player who was on a different team seven days ago.

The second went to a guy who was playing out of position and learning his new responsibilities by having coaches draw and diagram plays for him during the timeouts.

And the third pass landed in the hands of a receiver who was playing in a different league in a different country this time last year.

Burrow and the Bengals were on the cusp of a game-winning drive with no Chase or Higgins.

And then they weren’t.

Wrong Route Dooms Bengals' Chances for Joe Burrow Game-Winner

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On second and 10, Burrow – who had already thrown one red-zone interception in the fourth quarter – had what he thought would be a touchdown pass nearly turn into another interception when tight end Mike Gesicki, who was playing Higgins’ role as outside receiver, made a wrong turn.

“We just had a little miscommunication there,” Burrow said. “A little miscommunication.”

Gesicki admitted that communication breakdown was on his end.

“It was a play that because of personnel stuff, normally that's, that's Tee running that,” he said. “So when I went in, I moved to Tee’s spot. I felt the corner heavy inside. I’m supposed to cross his face. I didn’t.

“I learned that (play) on the sideline,” he added. “There’s no excuse for it. I was just trying to make a play. It is what it is.”

Gesicki and Burrow had already hooked up once for a score on a 15-yard pass with to cap the opening drive of the second half, drawing the Bengals within 13-10.

Burrow was expecting Gesicki to cross in front of Jacksonville cornerback Travis Hunter, and if he had, he likely would have hit him just outside of the 5-yard line with a chance to take the ball into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

Instead, Gesicki went vertical and Hunter nearly got his hands on the ball.

“Whether we’ve got two receivers (left), I trust those guys to go make plays,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “Joe obviously trusted them. He gave them some balls on some one-on-one tight coverage situations where he trusted them.

“Mike G’s playing outside receiver at points,” Taylor added. “These guys just wanted to go win the game. They're doing whatever it takes to win.”

If Gesicki makes a right-hand turn, as the play called for, the conversation about the Bengals – and especially Burrow – is drastically different.

Imagine leading a game-winning drive in the final 100 seconds with two of the best receivers in the game unavailable, not to mention the absence of any semblance of a run game.

Instead, the narrative grows and the championship hype slows.

At least outside the building.

“I’ll go to battle with him every day if that’s what we’re going to get,” Taylor said of Burrow’s performance. “The communication during the game – just how he played in the pocket, the throws he saw, the plays he made, the plays guys made for him and the protection.

“I thought he fought hard in the pocket,” Taylor continued. “Losing Tee and Ja’Marr … I thought out guys handled it really well. To say that I’m concerned? In no way, shape or form am I concerned.”

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