### **SLANTS AND SCREENS**
On Monday, Taylor and Pitcher defended the scheme's protection and Burrow's swashbuckling approach in which he often tries to buy time, knowing many of their explosive plays come late in the snap as he's on the move.
"I understand where people are going to come from. It's going to be very attacking of us and our style of play that's got us to a Super Bowl, an AFC championship, and two division titles, and won a lot of games for us," Taylor said. "We're always evaluating how we can protect our players and put them in the best position possible. So I take accountability for that, and if people want to blame me for putting them in a position, I'm fine taking that."
Since 2021, Burrow has 38 wins. Only five quarterbacks have more.
Pitcher broke down the play where Burrow appeared to get hurt as Jags tackle Arik Armstead put a bull rush on Risner and ended up falling on Burrow's foot after Burrow tried to spin out of the pocket.
"It's about as standard of a football play as you're going to have. It's a pick a side read. He's on the right side. He didn't love the relationship with the corner and the receiver, and that's going to happen sometimes," Pitcher said. "When you're faced with the decision, Do I throw the ball anyway and have to maybe target the ball in a spot that might put the ball at risk? Or do I pull the ball down and try to find a secondary answer? And both of those are viable options. We chose the second one. There are times where he's chosen the first one. It's a football play. It's a really unfortunate outcome to a standard football play. I wish it didn't happen. I feel terrible for Joe."
Or, as Taylor said, "There's always a risk. I think if you watch a lot of the top offenses in this league, especially in this conference, you're going to see a lot of quarterbacks running around in the pocket making big plays. And so that's just part of it. You have a great quarterback who can extend plays and the receivers we've got that you're going to hit big plays. You're not going to say don't do that. We've all sat here and watched all the game-breaking plays we've made when we've extended plays and made plays." …
Taylor said first-round pick Shemar Stewart (ankle) is doubtful for Minnesota …
Risner was called for lining up offsides on that first and-goal, and it was close. He wasn't sure until he saw it on tape.
"We're sneaking the ball and he's trying to get every inch," Pitcher said. "It's probably an easier call for the official to make at that moment because the ball is so close to the goal line." …
The Bengals won't see the Vikings' J.J. McCarthy in his third NFL start at quarterback. He's out and, instead, get a guy making his 95th start with a winning record in Carson Wentz at 47-46-1. The tie came to the rookie Burrow in a 2020 game in Philly. The rookie Wentz lost at Paycor in 2016 when the Bengals intercepted three of his 60 passes. He's made two starts the last two years, winning for the Rams in 2023 and losing last year's finale, 38-0, to the Broncos for the Chiefs in the game that knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs ...