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Burton's bench seat overshadows the Cincinnati Bengals' victory over the Raiders

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Burton's bench seat overshadows the Cincinnati Bengals' victory over the Raiders

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The afternoon sun shone brightly on a sign hanging on the upper deck facade of Paycor Stadium as if it were a spotlight.

Let's see what they're made of, the orange sign said.

We already knew what the Cincinnati Bengals were capable of before Sunday's 41-24 win over the resurgent Las Vegas Raiders.

They don't consist of much. And beating another bad team gives little hope of turning the season around. Surely you get the win, the Bengals' first home win this season. But even an easy win for this team couldn't come without problems as the Bengals have been struggling for an entire season and something just seems “off” about them.

That day, it was the pregame drama when rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton was inexplicably benched despite being healthy. It's the latest distraction for a team that has lacked consistency, toughness, accountability and leadership all season.

Why Burton wasn't included hasn't been publicly disclosed, but there have been ongoing issues since the Bengals drafted the former Alabama standout. Coach Zac Taylor said after the game that Burton would not be suspended but instead took a softer approach, saying: “We will support him.”

Burton certainly missed the moment to support the team. His absence and the drama that came with it probably would have been a much bigger deal if the Bengals had been playing a good team. Taylor said Burton was originally a “huge part” of the game plan. Quarterback Joe Burrow went out of his way to praise Burton last Wednesday and expressed excitement about the role the receiver could play in the offense.

Going into the weekend, everyone in the organization thought Burton could have a breakout game to replace injured No. 2 receiver Tee Higgins. Well, everyone except Burton.

“When you get to this point in your career, you have to grow up,” veteran stand-up cornerback Mike Hilton, one of the few defensive players left from the Super Bowl team, said when I met him at Burton asked.

“You’re a grown man,” Hilton added. “No one will babysit you anymore. We know how talented he is and how much he can help. But he has to grow up and mature and realize that he has to put the team before himself.”

To make matters worse, Burton showed up at the stadium in flannel pajama pants – seemingly sending an “I don't care” message. But hey, at least he showed up. He changed into more appropriate team-specified non-uniform attire and stood on the sidelines during the game.

A clip from the game broadcast circulated on social media that seemed to sum up a lot about the Bengals. Burrow, the winner and fierce competitor, was visibly frustrated as he sat on the bench after a tough series, even though the Bengals led 41-17 at the time. As the camera focused on Burrow, Burton walked past him in the frame, dancing and smiling.

The Burton question says so much about what's wrong with this Bengals team – from the front office to the locker room.

The Bengals have a history of recruiting players with character issues because they thought they could fix them. Jackson Carman comes to mind. The same goes for Joe Mixon, although the running back had some good seasons before off-field issues and a lack of on-field production forced the Bengals to trade him last offseason. The Bengals knew Burton had character issues but selected him in the third round anyway.

The Burton problem also concerns the lack of responsibility in the dressing room. This is where Taylor had to come to his post-game press conference and let everyone know that whatever Burton did, letting the team down was completely unacceptable.

Taylor didn't do that. It was a missed opportunity for a good head coach who is sometimes too nice. A strong, tough love message would have resonated with a complacent locker room — and a frustrated fan base.

Kudos to Hilton for his brutal honesty with the media. The Bengals need more people to speak up and say this stuff is unacceptable. But the front office has let many of the locker room's leaders into free agency over the last two offseasons.

Jesse Bates, DJ Reader, Chidobe Awuzie and Tyler Boyd were experienced team leaders who tolerated no nonsense from their teammates. These guys played key leadership roles on the 2021 and 2022 teams that went to the Super Bowl and back to the AFC Championship game.

These guys could have helped steer things in the right direction. But this team has had problems and distractions since training camp. It set a bad tone when star receiver Ja'Marr Chase sat out most of camp because he wants a contract extension.

Blame the front office for not paying Chase. Or blame Chase for sitting out with two seasons left on his contract. Regardless, the Bengals have been on the decline since their embarrassing season-opening home loss to the struggling New England Patriots.

The Bengals' wins came against teams that each had 2-7 records. They will probably continue to beat the bad teams. Burrow, who was masterful on Sunday, can do this almost single-handedly. The problem is that there aren't enough of these gimmes left on the schedule to help the Bengals get the ten wins they need to make the playoffs.

No one should be fooled into thinking that wins over bad teams will mask the Bengals' problems. And certainly no one should question the composition of this team anymore.

Contact columnist Jason Williams at [email protected]

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