What has black and orange stripes, complains about scheduling, and has lost to the Baltimore Ravens on primetime three years in a row? We'll give you a hint: He plays quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals...
Once again, the Bengals QB will spend one of his primetime games under the lights at M&T Bank Stadium. But this time the NFL is serving up more than just a divisional matchup. The NFL decided to slot the Ravens and Bengals in for a Thanksgiving primetime showdown—and, of course, in Baltimore. That makes four years in a row that Burrow and the Bengals will face the Ravens in primetime on the road. And he’s made it very clear he's had enough.
Talking to reporters about the upcoming schedule, Burrow said, “Playing in Baltimore for the fourth straight primetime wasn’t ideal. Maybe make one of those in Cincinnati next year... please."
It’s not exactly a battle cry. But it’s probably the most honest thing you’ll hear from an opposing quarterback who’s been consistently sent packing under the lights at M&T.
Joe Burrow isn’t thrilled about another primetime game in Baltimore
You can understand the frustration. Burrow’s Bengals have lost three straight primetime games in Baltimore. The losses have come in many different shapes and sizes, but the overarching results remain the same. A 19-17 Justin Tucker walk-off in 2022. A 34-20 beatdown in 2023. And a 35-34 full-on Lamar-fueled 2024 rally that ended in a one-point heartbreaker.
The league clearly sees the value in this matchup. Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Burrow is always electric, and AFC North drama is tailor-made for primetime. But if you’re Burrow, it has to feel like deja vu. Same road stadium. Same uncomfortable result. Same stadium tunnel walk of shame.
Now, he gets to do it on Thanksgiving, in front of a full house of turkey-stuffed Ravens fans who know all too well how lopsided this rivalry has become. That’s not to say the Bengals can’t and won't keep it close. They usually do. But it always ends the same—with Lamar and Co. walking off with the win.
For the Ravens, this is the ideal holiday gift. Not only do they get a marquee home game, but they get it with early-season playoff implications and national eyeballs. The NFL could’ve mixed it up. But they didn’t. And unlike Burrow, no one in Baltimore is complaining.
The Ravens fans are finally getting a holiday game at home. A game they've deserved. So Burrow might be over the matchup, but the NFL clearly isn’t. His complaint about the primetime scheduling is already seasoning the Thanksgiving dinner sides — and the tears? They’re brining the turkey.