Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals earned a 27-24 triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium and moved to 8-4 for the season.

Burrow was once again influential as he moved to a perfect 3-0 in games played against quarterback rival Mahomes, whose Chiefs sit at 9-3.

The 25-year-old completed 25 of his 31 passes, including touchdown passes to Tee Higgins in the second quarter and Chris Evans in the last, with Evans' score putting the Bengals up for good.

"He's playing at an MVP level – absolutely," Taylor said. "He gives us a lot of confidence."

Burrow's outing also included running in a four-yard score and converting on a couple of third-down passes to Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins that allowed the Bengals to run down the clock.

After the game, Burrow said: "We left some points on the field, but we still find a way to win.

"We've still got five weeks left. Let's keep this train rolling. This team knows what it takes to win these games. We've been there. It's December. It's time to separate ourselves."

Wide receiver Chase missed the previous four games with a hip injury and last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year caught seven passes for 97 yards on a brilliant return.

"I was surprised at how quickly he was looking like the same Ja'Marr, even in practice last week. He's a freak," Taylor added.

Mahomes finished the game with 16 of 27 passes completed for 223 yards and a touchdown, while running in for another score.

But the Chiefs quarterback rued some costly mistakes.

"We started off slow, we got back in the game, into the flow of things and [then] we had a turnover late and a missed kick," he said.

"In the fourth quarter, those are the things that kind of bite you at the end."

Burrow was full of praise for 45-year-old Bucs quarterback Brady, with plenty seeing parallels and comparisons between the two in terms of style.

The 26-year-old QB, who is seeking the Bengals' sixth straight win on Sunday, declined to discuss the comparisons, instead lauding his elder statesman Brady.

"I don't really pay attention to it," Burrow told reporters about the comparisons. "He's Tom, and I'm Joe."

He added: "It's really incredible. He's 45 now. He's getting hit by the same people I'm getting hit by. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication and the team he has around him in the offseason to get his body right."

Brady (3585) ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards during this season at the age of 45-years-old, with Burrow (3685) sitting third overall.

The pair are tied for most passing touchdowns in fourth quarters this season, while they are both ranked in the top 10 for fourth-quarter QBR, showing they handle pressure well.

"He gets the ball out really fast," Burrow said. "He understands what he's looking at. I think he epitomizes toughness at the quarterback position.

"He's a great leader. He's the greatest of all time for a reason. He's the total package."

Going into the game, the Bengals are 9-4 and second in the AFC North following their five-game winning streak while the Bucs are below .500 at 6-7, yet lead the NFC South.

"Obviously, the greatest quarterback ever is on the other side," Burrow said. "But we got a job to do, too, and our job is to go and win, get to 10-4 and move on."

Burrow was full of praise for 45-year-old Bucs quarterback Brady, with plenty seeing parallels and comparisons between the two in terms of style.

The 26-year-old QB, who is seeking the Bengals' sixth straight win on Sunday, declined to discuss the comparisons, instead lauding his elder statesman Brady.

"I don't really pay attention to it," Burrow told reporters about the comparisons. "He's Tom, and I'm Joe."

He added: "It's really incredible. He's 45 now. He's getting hit by the same people I'm getting hit by. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication and the team he has around him in the offseason to get his body right."

Brady (3585) ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards during this season at the age of 45-years-old, with Burrow (3685) sitting third overall.

The pair are tied for most passing touchdowns in fourth quarters this season, while they are both ranked in the top 10 for fourth-quarter QBR, showing they handle pressure well.

"He gets the ball out really fast," Burrow said. "He understands what he's looking at. I think he epitomizes toughness at the quarterback position.

"He's a great leader. He's the greatest of all time for a reason. He's the total package."

Going into the game, the Bengals are 9-4 and second in the AFC North following their five-game winning streak while the Bucs are below .500 at 6-7, yet lead the NFC South.

"Obviously, the greatest quarterback ever is on the other side," Burrow said. "But we got a job to do, too, and our job is to go and win, get to 10-4 and move on."

In truth, there was little doubt Burrow would take the role for the Bengals once they moved on from veteran Andy Dalton during the offseason, but Taylor has been encouraged by what he has seen from the first overall pick.

Heisman winner Burrow had a record-breaking senior season with LSU – who became national champions in January – and will hope to translate that form into the professional ranks with the Bengals.

In a news conference with reporters after Sunday's scrimmage, Taylor was asked what had impressed him about the quarterback.

"His command of the offense; leadership in the huddle; understanding of what he's got to do to move this offense; his competitiveness; his urgency," he said.

"Certainly, there's areas to clean up, there's no question about that, but he's got a great grasp.

"We're in sync in terms of how we see things and how we think of things.

"We haven't had a chance to be on the field too much together, but it is important to start to see things the same way.

"I really feel like we're making a lot of progress in that direction.

"He's just been impressive. He's what we expected when we took him number one overall, hasn't disappointed one day he's been out there."

The coronavirus pandemic has shortened the NFL offseason and deprived Burrow of any preseason games to test himself against NFL opposition.

However, Taylor retains faith that a Bengals offense that includes veteran wide receiver A.J. Green and running back Joe Mixon will put up points with Burrow at the helm in 2020.

"Poise is his middle name – I guess that's one way to put it – not much fazes him," Taylor added of Burrow.

"Probably the thing that gets him the most is when he feels like the error is his own, to not duplicate the same mistake twice.

"But he's a competitive guy and we expect him to lead this offense to a lot of points."

Burrow and the Bengals have entered preparations for the 2022 season with a sense of unfinished business after coming up just short of earning the franchise's first NFL championship. 

To illustrate that point, the league's 2021 Comeback Player of the Year revealed he is taking his personal trainer with him to an upcoming trip to Las Vegas with teammate Jesse Bates, simply because he does not want to miss a workout between now and training camp.

"That is a great message for our team," Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters following Tuesday's voluntary practice. 

"When your leadership is making those statements, it trickles down to the entirety of the roster. If they want to keep up, they have got to get on that level.

"That is what we want as a team. That is where we want to get to, and we have just got to be prepared when the first day of training camp rolls around that we don't miss a beat."

Burrow enters the summer in a better place physically than a year ago, when he was completing the recovery process from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his promising 2020 rookie campaign after 10 games. 

The 25-year-old said the knee sprain he sustained during the fourth quarter of Cincinnati’s 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI has not been an issue during offseason workouts.

"I have just been able to focus on the entirety of myself, weight room and conditioning, on field, throwing, mechanics, all of it's not really focusing on the knee," Burrow said. 

"It's just getting back to where I was prior. And I've been able to focus on the entirety of myself as a player."

Burrow made tremendous strides in his second NFL campaign, setting Bengals season records for passing yards (4,611) and touchdown passes (34) and leading Cincinnati to its first playoff appearance since 2015.

The 2020 number one overall pick still feels there is room for further improvement and said he is focused on taking his play to the next level.

"Continue to be critical of yourself and the things that you can improve on and continue to raise the level of play of your teammates. I don't think he has any hesitancy to do that," Taylor said. 

"That's what's encouraging. You want a guy who's really got the mental makeup of exactly what you want from your quarterback.

"We have extremely high expectations for Joe, but I don't think anyone has higher expectations than he has for himself. And that is a great starting point for a guy that's leading your team like that."

Mahomes had sustained a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars but was determined not to miss the opportunity to gain revenge following last year's loss against the Bengals at the same stage.

In that reverse, Mahomes followed an outstanding first half with an uncharacteristically shambolic second that cost the Chiefs.

However, on Sunday, as the game wore on and the temperature dropped, Mahomes showed signs of his injury affecting him but refused to relent, finishing with 29-of-43 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns, along with a vital late run.

Mahomes was largely able to stay clean in the first half while Joe Burrow took some punishment, but the Chiefs' sole TD pass found Travis Kelce on fourth-and-one.

Memories of last year's loss might have come to mind as the Bengals came out stronger in the third quarter and Tee Higgins sensationally reeled in a pinpoint Burrow TD pass down the sideline.

A hobbling Mahomes battled on and connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a scrambling score, only for Burrow to find Ja'Marr Chase deep on fourth-and-six to set up Samaje Perine to run it in.

With the scores tied, both QBs struggled to get the job done as overtime neared, but Chris Jones sacked Burrow to force a Bengals punt, with Skyy Moore's 27-yard return keeping the Chiefs alive.

When Mahomes – understandably reluctant to run the ball until that stage – made up five yards and was shoved by Joseph Ossai after running out of bounds, a 15-yard penalty left Harrison Butker with the 45-yard game-winning field goal to set up a Super Bowl meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelce keeping fine company

Restricted by his injury, Mahomes needed help from his receivers and got it. He completed passes to 10 team-mates, but Kelce was unsurprisingly his primary target, completing seven of nine attempts for a TD.

That was Kelce's 15th receiving TD in the postseason, drawing him level with fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski and now trailing only wide receiver Jerry Rice (22) for all-time postseason scores.

Burrow takes a beating

This was the first time Burrow had lost to Mahomes, with the Chiefs clearly irked by talk of the Bengals QB's dominance in this matchup. The Chiefs got to Burrow time and again early on, with four sacks before halftime.

Coming into the game, Burrow was 14-1 this season when sacked four times or fewer but 0-3 when sacked five times or more. That fifth and final sack from Jones proved so pivotal.

Week 14 was one in which the race appeared to settle into one between four quarterbacks. Other positions are worthy of recognition, but since Adrian Peterson's win in 2012 the MVP has been solely a quarterback award, and there is a quartet who have separated themselves from the rest.

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins had received some hype as a potential MVP, but his successive disappointing displays against the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have likely removed him from the equation.

This has become a fight between the quarterback piloting the best team in the NFC and a trio of signal-callers each hoping to lead their respective rosters to the top seed in the AFC.

Right now, it is the former who stands as the favourite because of a near-perfect resume.

THE FRONTRUNNER: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

The competition with more established NFL stars has been fierce but, after recent devastating performances against the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, it is difficult to dispute Hurts as the MVP frontrunner.

A week on from brushing past the Titans, the Eagles swatted the Giants aside at The Meadowlands with another display of effortless dominance powered by Hurts’ ability to hit the deep ball and his influence on an ultra-diverse run game.

Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown for touchdowns of 41 and 33 yards, and also rushed for 77 yards and a score on seven carries. His 13 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards are the most in the NFL while his 10 rushing scores are the sixth-most, and two more than any other quarterback (Justin Fields, eight).

He now has 3,157 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns this season, becoming the the fourth quarterback ever with at least 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes & 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Kyler Murray (2020), Cam Newton (2011 and 2015) and Kordell Stewart (1997).

Newton won the MVP in 2015 by posting such numbers for a 15-1 Carolina Panthers team that went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Eagles are on course to go 16-1 thanks to Hurts’ growth as a thrower – his well-thrown rate of 82.7 percent is a substantial improvement on his mark of 77.1 per cent from 2021. If they do so, there are unlikely to be many convincing counterarguments against Hurts as the MVP.

DON'T COUNT HIM OUT: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

A three-interception performance by Mahomes against the Denver Broncos may have helped tilt the MVP race in favour of Hurts, but the 2018 MVP is still performing at a level to be worthy of regaining the award.

Mahomes has 60 completions of at least 20 yards this season. No other quarterback has even reached 50, with Joe Burrow his nearest challenger on 46.

He ranks eighth among quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 attempts with a well-thrown rate of 83.5 percent, and has been extremely accurate when going deep.

Indeed, Mahomes' completion percentage of 50 on pass attempts of at least 21 air yards is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 10 such throws. On top of his downfield explosiveness, Mahomes has done an excellent job of creating yardage for himself on the ground, his yards per carry average on scrambles of 7.44 bettered by only Justin Fields (7.98) and P.J. Walker (8.67).

Recent issues with turnovers and the fact the Chiefs lost to Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals may have dented his case but, with four games to go, Mahomes has built the foundations of an MVP resume and still has the chance to earn the prize for a second time if he can lift Kansas City to the one seed.

FADING FAST?: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The resume in terms of achievements for Allen is pretty sparkling. If the season ended today, the Bills would be the number one seed in the AFC and he delivered the tiebreaking win over the Chiefs with a tremendous fourth-quarter performance at Arrowhead.

Allen's deep ball has been extremely impressive this season. No quarterback in the NFL has accounted for more yards on throws of at least 21 air yards than his 833. 

The Bills star is also on the right side of the ledger in terms of accuracy, delivering a well-thrown ball on 82 percent of his passes. The league average – minimum 50 attempts – is 81.4.

However, like Mahomes, Allen has 11 interceptions this season, and has a pickable pass rate of 4.89 percent that is nearly a full point above the average of 4.09%.

His carelessness with the ball has contributed to key defeats to the likes of the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, costing the Bills wins that would have given them clear separation atop the AFC.

Allen is clearly one of the league's premier quarterbacks and will be for many years to come, but the consistency has not been there for him to be considered the MVP at this point.

THE SLEEPER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow start, the man who spearheaded the Bengals' improbable charge to an AFC Championship is once again performing at a level that saw him elevate Cincinnati to the ranks of the elite.

Even in hard-fought Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns with a Bengals' offense that has been one of the most productive in the NFL since Week 6 did not fire on all cylinders, Burrow's deadly precision was a difference-maker, most notably on a pinpoint 15-yard touchdown throw to Ja’Marr Chase on a post route to open the scoring.

Burrow delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.5 percent of his passes against the Browns. For the season, his well-thrown rate of 85.9 percent is fifth among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. His pickable pass rate of just 1.52 percent is the NFL's best.

Burrow is outperforming Hurts, Mahomes and Allen when it comes to delivering accurately and taking care of the ball, and has a signature win over Mahomes to his name from Week 13.

If the Bengals go on to wrest the AFC North from the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow will have an excellent case for the MVP, one that will be even stronger if 9-4 Cincinnati manage to catch Kansas City and Buffalo in the race for the one seed.

It was a new Bengals record for passing yards in a single game and included four touchdowns with no interceptions as the Bengals claimed a big AFC North win to improve to 9-6 ahead of the 8-7 Ravens on a four-game skid.

The second year QB's effort was the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history, and he also became the fourth player in NFL history to have 500 pass yards, four pass touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game, joining Derek Carr, Ben Roethlisberger and Y.A. Tittle.

Burrow broke the record previously held by Boomer Esiason, who threw for 490 yards in an overtime game against the Los Angeles Rams in October 1990.

After the game, the 25-year-old claimed that he was not thinking about the finer details of his own statistics and was just focused on doing what it took to win the game.

"You know, I really don't think about the yards too much," said Burrow after his history-making performance. "Whatever it takes to win the game. Today, it took throwing for 525 yards."

He also admitted that the record-breaking throw to Joe Mixom for 52-yards went against the wishes of coach Zac Taylor, who had told Burrow not to scramble. He fled the pocket and threw deep to running back Mixon, who caught it for a significant gain inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

"I knew I wasn't supposed to do it, but we went out there and did it anyway," Burrow added.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins also excelled against the Ravens (12 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns), and credited Burrow for his own showing, saying post-game: "When he's on fire like that, all your job is to do is get open and he's going to find you."

It was a new Bengals record for passing yards in a single game and included four touchdowns with no interceptions as the Bengals claimed a big AFC North win to improve to 9-6 ahead of the 8-7 Ravens on a four-game skid.

The second year QB's effort was the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history, and he also became the fourth player in NFL history to have 500 pass yards, four pass touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game, joining Derek Carr, Ben Roethlisberger and Y.A. Tittle.

Burrow broke the record previously held by Boomer Esiason, who threw for 490 yards in an overtime game against the Los Angeles Rams in October 1990.

After the game, the 25-year-old claimed that he was not thinking about the finer details of his own statistics and was just focused on doing what it took to win the game.

"You know, I really don't think about the yards too much," said Burrow after his history-making performance. "Whatever it takes to win the game. Today, it took throwing for 525 yards."

He also admitted that the record-breaking throw to Joe Mixom for 52-yards went against the wishes of coach Zac Taylor, who had told Burrow not to scramble. He fled the pocket and threw deep to running back Mixon, who caught it for a significant gain inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

"I knew I wasn't supposed to do it, but we went out there and did it anyway," Burrow added.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins also excelled against the Ravens (12 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns), and credited Burrow for his own showing, saying post-game: "When he's on fire like that, all your job is to do is get open and he's going to find you."

Any one team can beat another, and that means at this stage of the season, with the first snap still to be taken, every team can have Super Bowl aspirations.

Sort of.

The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, may have been slightly surprising contenders in 2021, but there remain some teams whose title hopes are so remote as to be non-existent.

For some, this is because they have missed their shot at glory in recent years; for others, the plan is to challenge in seasons to come.

So, this leads us to draw up a preseason tier system, ranking all 32 teams by their Super Bowl windows with the help of Stats Perform AI predictions...

Nowhere near

This is unlikely to be a season to remember for the teams grouped in this category, for a variety of reasons.

The Houston Texans won the AFC South in 2018 and 2019, but the Deshaun Watson saga and two down years have them looking at a rebuild, with the data forecasting just 4.8 wins this year. That at least ranks them ahead of the Atlanta Falcons (3.6 projected wins) and the New York Giants (4.2), while the Texans did gain draft assets in the Watson trade.

The Chicago Bears are the fourth and final team projected to earn fewer than six wins (4.9), with second-year quarterback Justin Fields receiving little help on offense and playing behind an offensive line ranked 31st in pass protection.

Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders rank 31st in terms of skill players – better only than the Falcons – with faith in Carson Wentz long since having diminished. In Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, the Carolina Panthers have two high-draft-pick QBs unlikely to trouble the postseason. The New York Jets are in a similar boat, even if Zach Wilson is still young.

The Detroit Lions might argue they do not deserve to keep such company after a 3-3 finish to last season, but nobody could seriously argue they are title contenders.

Entering contention

If that first group was a mixed bag, so too is the second.

Anyone who has paid any attention to the New England Patriots' preseason would suggest they are very fortunate to be given any hope of success in the near future, but they finished with 10 wins in 2021 – even if that number is projected to shrink to 7.7. Despite a trade for Tyreek Hill, that still ranks the Patriots comfortably ahead of the Miami Dolphins (7.0), although the losing team in their Week 1 meeting will face a long slog of a season.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Philadelphia Eagles are forecast to have 11.9 wins – the second-most in the NFL – after a very strong offseason. But Jalen Hurts, for now, is unproven in the postseason, so Philly fans may have to stay patient.

The San Francisco 49ers are even younger at QB after promoting Trey Lance to a starting role, which explains why the prediction model looks so unfavourably on a team many consider contenders right now. Just 7.1 projected wins speaks to the potentially low floor Lance brings.

NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals have to be considered among this group of future hopefuls, with Kyler Murray hugely talented and now committed long term but frustratingly inconsistent, while the Jacksonville Jaguars will hope Trevor Lawrence can follow in the footsteps of the Bengals' Joe Burrow – the number one pick the year before him.

The Los Angeles Chargers, with 9.8 projected wins, have Justin Herbert to lead their charge, while the Cleveland Browns might have been contenders already if not for Watson's suspension, which is enough to limit them to a still strong 9.3-win forecast.

In their prime

The Chargers may have Herbert, but they also have three division rivals who intend to win and intend to win now. Indeed, all four AFC West teams rank in the top half of the league in terms of projected wins, with the Chargers second – behind the Kansas City Chiefs (11.5) and just ahead of the Denver Broncos (9.7) and the Las Vegas Raiders (9.2).

The Chiefs lead the AFC in this regard, although their playoff win over the Buffalo Bills last season came down to a coin flip, and the two are set to be similarly tough to separate this year. Buffalo are down for 11.1 wins.

The two teams coming off a Super Bowl run are of course prominent among the contenders, even if the model has far greater optimism for a Los Angeles Rams repeat than for another Bengals charge. The Rams are backed for a league-leading 12.4 wins and given a 15.3 per cent shot at defending their title, while the Bengals are actually projected to dip below .500 with 8.2 wins.

The Bengals' route to the Super Bowl will be complicated not just by the AFC West and the Bills but also by any return to form for the fit-again Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens, who are counted among nine teams on course for 10 or more wins (10.4).

Also in that group are NFC pair the Dallas Cowboys (11.0) and the Minnesota Vikings (10.9), who may not even be the best teams in their divisions but might be nearing a point when they must seriously challenge or start again, which brings us to...

Last chance saloon

As long as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are the QBs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers, those teams are in with a chance. The question is how long that will remain the case.

Brady is 45, briefly retired this offseason and then missed a chunk of the preseason. Rodgers is 38, has repeatedly been linked with a move away from Green Bay and lost top target Davante Adams ahead of the new season. Still, the Buccaneers rank eighth for projected wins (10.7), with the Packers up in third (11.5).

They are not the only ageing teams in the NFL, however.

The Indianapolis Colts hope they have upgraded in moving from Wentz to Matt Ryan, yet the former MVP is now 37 and last played in the postseason in 2017 – when Wentz's Eagles took the title.

Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is a little younger at 34, but of greater concern would be Derrick Henry's durability after the injury that limited to eight games last regular season. The Titans need to make the most of any seasons they have left of the superstar running back going at full tilt.

Missed their chance

Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees won Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints respectively, but with all three having now moved on, it is difficult to see those teams plotting a path to the title.

For the Seahawks and the Steelers, this will be their first year without their stalwart QBs, even if things had already gone stale in 2021. Wilson dipped below the .500 mark for a season for the first time in his career, while Pittsburgh were attempting to stay competitive in spite of Roethlisberger rather than because of him.

Still, with both gone – Wilson to Denver and Roethlisberger to retirement – there is a void under center that has not been suitably filled. Seattle also rank 32nd in pass protection, likely leaving Geno Smith hopelessly exposed.

The Saints have had another 12 months to come to terms with Brees' exit, albeit they spent it juggling Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill at QB. Winston's season-ending injury doomed the Saints' hopes of contention last year, and New Orleans' outlook for 9.5 wins with the entertaining but erratic former number one pick is at least far more positive than that of the Seahawks (6.2) or the Steelers (7.0).

Regardless, each of these three teams have provided an example in how not to do succession planning. They all could have won additional honours with their departed veterans and now face long waits for further title tilts.

Footage emerged of the incident from the practice session between last season's Super Bowl teams with three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Donald at the center of it.

The situation led to calls for a suspension, but clubs, and not the league, are responsible for overseeing the players' conduct in practice, with no ban transpiring since.

Rams coach Sean McVay played down the significance of the fracas later in the day and Donald reiterated that on Wednesday.

"It was just a practice. It was football," Donald told AP Pro Football Podcast.

"I don't really want to go back to nothing negative that happened and talk about something that happened in a practice. My main focus is Buffalo."

Donald indicated he had addressed the incident with McVay and teammates but would not be drawn on it further.

The Rams start the new NFL season against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

After selecting Joe Burrow with the top pick in the NFL Draft, the Bengals released Dalton on Thursday, ending his nine seasons in Cincinnati.

Dalton has been linked with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars and the 32-year-old is upbeat about his future.

"I'm going to check out all my options and make the best decision for me and my family," he told the Bengals' website.

"It's going to work out."

The Bengals unsurprisingly took Burrow with the top pick in the draft last month after his stellar season with LSU.

Dalton said he always planned to congratulate Burrow, who threw 60 touchdown passes for LSU last season.

"I knew they were going to take Joe. Regardless whether I was on the team or not, I would have reached out," he said.

"He had a great college career and he went number one and I just wanted to give him my congratulations on him getting drafted where he did. And tell him he's going to a good team."

Jackson missed his 17th straight practice Thursday and then posted on social media that his left knee "remains unstable," putting his availability for Sunday in serious doubt.

"Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries," Jackson posted to Twitter. "I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.

"I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has not officially ruled out Jackson returning Sunday, but he has not practiced with the team since December 2, and has not appeared in a game since a 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos on December 4.

With Jackson likely unavailable, Huntley would be in line to start, but he has been battling shoulder and wrist injuries that kept him sidelined for the regular-season finale at Cincinnati last weekend.

Huntley resumed throwing at practice Thursday and was officially listed as a limited participant. It was the first time since January 1 that he was seen throwing passes.

"He looked good," Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "It’s day-to-day. He’s making progress. We take stock on it every day."

Rookie Anthony Brown started the final game of the regular season and was 19 of 44 for 286 yards with two interceptions in his only career start, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

Baltimore went 8-4 and averaged 23.1 points in games Jackson started this season, and were 2-3 while averaging 13 points in games without him.

"Obviously, Lamar is Lamar," Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. "You can’t replace that kind of guy, but I do still think that we have quarterbacks who can go out there and get the job done and play at a high level."

Wilson has been sidelined since suffering a meniscus tear and bone bruise in his right knee in their preseason opener, with veteran QB Joe Flacco stepping in during his absence.

Flacco struggled in Sunday's 27-12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, coming only seven days after his heroics with two late touchdown passes in a miracle 31-30 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Wilson, who was pick two in the 2021 NFL Draft, is expected to come immediately back in as starting QB when healthy.

"I'm expecting [him back], but until the doctors say so, I'm just going to say he's being evaluated," Saleh told reporters.

Flacco had a poor game with two interceptions, two fumbles and four sacks against the Bengals.

"It's frustrating," Saleh said. "Any time you turn the ball over and you only get one takeaway, obviously you're not going to win the football game."

Fans became increasingly frustrated at Flacco, with boos heard at MetLife Stadium following a few throwaways, while there were chants for back-up QB Mike White to come on.

Saleh insisted he never considered a QB change, while Flacco said he had no time to worry about it.

"Fans want to see you win football games," Flacco said. "You get the frustration, but it was a two-score game.

"If we put one in the end zone there... we have more important things to worry about than listening to that stuff."

On the quarterback situation, Flacco added: "We'll see. You guys know more than I do. I'm going to keep my head down and keep working, doing all I can for this team in whatever role that may be."

The Texans are enduring a miserable season and moved to 4-11 with a 37-31 home defeat to the Bengals on Sunday.

It was a fourth consecutive reverse and Watt said Houston played "horrendously" after Brandon Allen, back-up to Cincy's injured rookie starting QB Joe Burrow, threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns.

Then asked how the Texans could regroup, Watt offered a lengthy response criticising the team as he outlined how sorry he feels the fans while "we stink".

"We're professional athletes getting paid a whole lot of money," Watt said.

"If you can't come in and put work in in the building, go out to the practice field and work hard, do your lifts and do what you're supposed to do, you should not be here.

"This is a job. We are getting paid a whole lot of money.

"There are a lot of people that watch us and invest their time and their money into buying our jerseys and buying a whole bunch of s***, and they care about it. They care every single week.

"We're in Week 16 and we're 4-11, and there's fans that watch this game, that show up to the stadium that put in time and energy and effort and care about this.

"So if you can't go out there and you can't work out, you can't show up on time, you can't practice, you can't want to go out there and win, you shouldn't be here.

"Because this is a privilege. It's the greatest job in the world. You get to go out and play a game.

"And if you can't care enough, even in Week 17, even when you're trash, when you're 4-11. If you can't care enough to go out there and give everything you've got and try your hardest, that's bull****.

"There are people every week that still tweet you, that still come up to you and say, 'Hey, we're still rooting for you, we're still behind you'.

"They have no reason whatsoever to. We stink. But they care and they still want to win and they still want you to be great.

"That's why. Those people aren't getting paid. We're getting paid handsomely. That's why.

"And that's who I feel the most bad for, our fans and the people who care so deeply and the city and the people who love it and who truly want it to be great.

"And it's not. And that sucks as a player to know that we're not giving them what they deserve."

The Bengals hold the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after going 2-14 in 2019 and it is expected they will select Burrow, a quarterback who was raised in Ohio.

The 23-year-old had an incredible senior year with LSU, throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns and leading the Tigers to a win over Clemson in the National Championship last month.

Cincinnati have had four successive losing seasons and have not won a playoff game since 1990 yet Munoz, a Hall of Famer who spent 13 years on the Bengals' offensive line between 1980 and 1992, believes their presumptive first pick Burrow can be a hit in the NFL.

"I think so. First of all, it's all about putting people in the seats," he told Stats Perform.

"Joe being an Athens, Ohio guy, I think that's going to help - not to mention the great leadership qualities he has and the player he's been this season.

"You look at him and it seems the better the college team, the better he's played.

"The higher ranked they've been, the bigger the game – not that that's the same as the NFL – but I think he's someone that has shown that.

"We need to help him in other areas. We need to shore up the offensive line a little bit.

"I think we have the pieces, having Jonah Williams healthy, coming in this year and doing what they think he should be able to do. I think we have a couple of young linemen that they can build on. It would surprise me if they didn't go with Joe."

There is a sense that winding up back in Ohio may not be Burrow's wish, though, with some pundits suggesting he should pull a John Elway or Eli Manning and refuse to play for the Bengals if he is selected by them.

A historically bad NFL franchise who have never won the Super Bowl, Cincinnati made Zac Taylor their head coach last season and he had the league's worst record in his rookie campaign.

However, Munoz is confident that the former Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach can find success in Cincinnati.

"I've been really impressed with Zac Taylor," Munoz added.

"I've been around him quite a bit. Didn't know a whole lot about him when he got there but I've had a chance to be around him and get to know him and talk to people who know him extremely well.

"I think he's a good fit and I think he's going to be very successful."

The Bengals were just a play away from scoring a winning touchdown on the first outing since Burrow was selected as the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft as the Chargers claimed a 16-13 win at Paul Brown Stadium.

No quarterback selected first has won in week one of a rookie year since David Carr in 2002 and Burrow felt he fell short on a few plays, including overthrows for receivers John Ross and A.J. Green for what would have been touchdowns.

Even still, Burrow led the Bengals to within striking distance late in the game, only for Green to be called for pushing off in the end zone, before Randy Bullock missed a field goal to take the game into overtime.

"[I would give myself a] 'D'," Burrow responded when asked to grade his performance.

"I can't miss that throw to A.J.. A high schooler can make that throw. And I can't throw the ball right to Melvin Ingram when we're in scoring range, so it was a tough way to lose.

"I made too many mistakes to win the game. I missed A.J. on a deep ball and John on a deep ball and then I threw the interception – that just can't happen."

On the dramatic finale, Burrow added: "I'm obviously upset we didn't score a touchdown.

"I thought we played well enough on that particular drive to put it in the end zone and then they [the officials] made the call.

"I'm not sure what happened on the kick, but it doesn't matter what happened on the kick. We should have put them away a lot of times before that.

"I shouldn't have missed the throw to A.J. and thrown the interception. A lot of different plays affected the game."

Burrow finished with 23-of-36 passing for 193 yards, one rushing touchdown and one interception, and head coach Zac Taylor felt there were plenty of positives to take.

"Some good and some things we have to improve on," Taylor replied when asked to sum up Burrow's performance.

"There were some missed opportunities but overall, he kept his composure. He moved onto the next snap, which is important.

"He made some critical plays down the stretch that put us in position to tie or win the game. I thought his decision-making overall was really good – where he went with the ball.

"In the first half, he was running for his life there. We did a better job of minimising that in the second half."

The Bengals will select first in this year's NFL Draft and are widely expected to choose quarterback Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy after a stellar final season with LSU.

However, the 23-year-old caused a stir when he stated in January his aspiration to go to a "great organisation that is committed to winning" during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, raising questions over his desire to end up in Cincinnati.

Media speculation over him potentially angling to play elsewhere only grew when he recently suggested he has "leverage" as the top quarterback prospect, yet Burrow will play for whoever takes him in the draft.

"Of course I want to be the first pick – that's every kid's dream," he told reporters in Indianapolis.

"I've worked really, really hard for this opportunity and I'm blessed to be in this position."

Asked about his future destination in the NFL, Burrow replied: "I'm a ball player. Whoever picks me, I'm going to go show up.

"I will play for whoever drafts me, I'm not going to be presumptuous about what they want to do.

"It's the draft – you guys [in the media] have been covering it for a long time, you never know what's going to happen."

Burrow threw for 60 passing touchdowns and had just six interceptions in 2019 as LSU won the College Football Playoff National Championship.

With his status at the top of the draft seemingly secure, the QB has unsurprisingly announced he will not be throwing or working out during the combine.

There was little surprise on the opening day of the NFL Draft when the Bengals selected Burrow as the number one overall pick after his record-breaking season with LSU.

Taylor said the expectation is Burrow will compete to be the team's first choice QB, though was non-committal when asked if he will be the opening-day starter for the team.

Burrow is ready to compete with Dalton, who has been with the Bengals since 2011.

"That's [competing to start] exactly how I expect to do it as well," Burrow told local reporters on a teleconference call.

"I'm going to come in and compete and try to be the best player I can be."

There will be plenty of eyes on Burrow after being selected first, yet the man himself says he would have applied the same internal pressure wherever he went in the draft.

"I mean, for me, it doesn't matter where you get picked," Burrow added. 

"I could have been the 189th pick, I could be number one. I'm going to work the exact same and try to be the best quarterback I can be for this city."

In the Bengals, Burrow has joined a team that has endured four straight losing seasons and went 2-14 in 2019.

Indeed, the franchise has not won a playoff game since the 1990 season and Burrow is well aware of the expectation from a hungry fanbase.

"I'm on social media like all us young people, so I see it and I'm hoping – I don't want to say 'hope' – I'm going to work as hard as I can to bring winning to Cincinnati," he said. 

"And I know the people around me will as well. The culture that coach Taylor is building, I'm very excited about it.

"The thing about the NFL is there's good players everywhere. A couple injuries here or there can really change a season and change you from a playoff-calibre team to a 2-14 team. 

"So, we have what it takes. Whatever they need me to do, I'm going to do it. Hopefully I can bring something to the team that is positive and brings about wins."

Burrow threw a record 60 touchdowns and completed 76.3 per cent of his passes as he led LSU to the National Championship.

The next task is transitioning from college football to the demands of the NFL and Bengals head coach Taylor has no doubts Burrow has the ability to do just that.

"We selected him because we know he's going to be able to handle all of that," Taylor said. "It's just a matter of accumulating those reps as quickly as he can.

"He was a championship-calibre player in high school and college, and he's helped those teams play in the biggest game there was. 

"That expectation does not change now that he's a Bengal. We expect him to come in with that mindset. Everyone we bring in that building will be held to that standard.

"He has an earned confidence. It's a confidence he's earned because he put the work in. He's achieved success on the field with a National Championship. 

"I can tell he doesn't take that for granted. He knows that he has to continue to work even harder than he ever has before at this level. 

"There's new challenges he hasn't faced before. You can tell he's very comfortable in his own skin, and comfortable with what we're asking him to do."

Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron believes Burrow is capable of handling the pressure and intense scrutiny that comes with being taken at the top of the NFL Draft.

And after the quarterback led LSU to the National Championship last season, Orgeron believes he can also achieve glory in Cincinnati if the Bengals do, as expected, pick him first on Thursday.

Burrow had to fight for a role as a college starter after being unable to make the breakthrough with Ohio State and took time to progress once he had transferred to LSU.

"You know, Joe didn't play in three years, and he came here and he earned the respect of the football team," Orgeron said to ESPN.

"Joe wasn't the Heisman Trophy winner when he got here. He developed, he got better, he kept his mouth shut. 

"Obviously we all heard the stories [of other number one picks] going to this team or that team, they haven't had a good record or whatever. 

"I think that Joe has not had a silver spoon in his mouth all his life. I think Joe has had to fight all his life. 

"And I think if he does have to fight - and it may be Cincinnati - he's willing to fight for that. And he's willing to build a team. And he's willing to go through adversity if he has to.

"Nothing was promised to him here [at LSU]. He came here with faith and built a championship team. And I don't see why he couldn't do it at Cincinnati."

Orgeron was asked why he was so certain Burrow – who had 60 touchdowns to just six interceptions as he threw for 5,671 yards in an unbelievable 2019 campaign – would thrive at the NFL level.

"The way he worked every day, the way he earned the right to be the starting quarterback at LSU," Orgeron added of Burrow. "The way he got better, the way he captured the football team, the way he led.

"His work ethic, attitude and smarts will [translate to the NFL and] make him a great player."

The last quarterback to be taken at number one overall and win a Super Bowl was Eli Manning, who was the first pick in 2004.

He famously did not play for the team who picked him, the San Diego Chargers, instead being traded to the New York Giants and leading Big Blue to two Lombardi Trophies.