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Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer
CLEVELAND — The first game of the season did not go as planned for the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow.
Burrow threw for a career-low 82 yards in a 24-3 road loss to the Cleveland Browns. His previous low was a 148-yard effort in a Week 11 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. He completed 14 of 32 passes for no touchdowns and no interceptions Sunday.
Neither quarterback was effective on a wet and misty day off Lake Erie. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was just 16-of-29 passing for 154 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
However, Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense never got in rhythm. For the first time in Burrow’s career, the Bengals started the game with five straight punts.
Things did not get on track from there. Burrow averaged just 2.6 yards per attempt. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the first time in his career that Burrow averaged fewer than 5 yards an attempt. Quarterback Jake Browning finished the game for the Bengals.
Cincinnati increased the urgency in the fourth quarter to no avail. Trailing 16-3 and facing a fourth-and-4 at their own 31-yard line, the Bengals opted to go for it. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sacked Burrow for a 13-yard loss.
The rough outing came after Burrow was out for nearly six weeks while recovering from a strained right calf. He suffered the injury July 27 and didn’t return to practice until Aug. 30.
Sunday’s performance also came one day after Burrow signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $275 million. The deal gives Burrow the highest average annual value in NFL history.