Though Joe Burrow might be playing his very best, the Bengals are still a mess. There are any number of systemic reasons for that.

Burrow certainly is doing his part. Through five games, the fifth-year quarterback has thrown for 1,370 yards and a league-high 12 touchdowns while completing 72.3% of his passes, good for a 113.6 passer rating. Cincinnati's offense ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards (263.0) and points (28.0) per game.

The Bengals find themselves in a tough spot heading into Sunday's game, tied with the Cleveland Browns for last place in the AFC North, a fact of life not lost on Burrow. "I would say we are not the team to beat right now, we're 1-4," Burrow said.