Joe Burrow on why Bengals have avoided COVID outbreak so far: ‘Fortunately, there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati’
The NFL has dealt with a COVID outbreak over the last couple of weeks, as the Omicron variant has spread rapidly throughout locker rooms across the league. All 32 teams have been impacted by the virus, but the Bengals have emerged as one of the NFL’s luckiest teams.
“We’re still a healthy team, which not a lot of people can say at this point of the season,” quarterback Joe Burrow said in a news conference on Wednesday. “We’ve been lucky as far as injuries and COVID.”
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Indeed, the Bengals have been lucky, especially in terms of COVID. Currently, the team has just one player on the COVID list — starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.
How has Cincinnati stayed so healthy? Burrow has a theory, but it’s one to which the fine folks of Cincinnati might not take kindly.
“Fortunately, there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati,” Burrow said. “Nobody is going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend.”
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In reality, Cincinnati’s success in keeping players on the field has been related more toward the team’s approach to players “experiencing signs of illness,” as ESPN’s Ben Baby explains.
Throughout the season, the Bengals have been careful with players experiencing signs of illness, holding them out for precautionary reasons.
Burrow’s reasoning may have some merit as well, but it would appear that the Bengals’ ultra-cautious approach has played a big role in their success. Now, the team will look to keep their streak of good health intact as they make a push for the AFC North title. They are facing the Ravens in Week 16 and the winner of that contest will be in control of the division.
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Baltimore is missing a lot of key personnel, including several of its top cornerbacks. As such, it could be a good time for Cincinnati to strike and take control of the division.