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.

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

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.