Joe Burrow backtracks from "throw it more": I might have been a little emotional after the game

After the Bengals had just 13 designed runs for 18 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, Joe Burrow’s response was, “Let’s throw it more.”

After letting the result digest for a few days, Burrow backtracked on that sentiment in his Wednesday press conference.

“I might have been a little emotional after the game,” Burrow said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. Hobson noted Burrow had a wide smile when he delivered the remark. “Obviously, you want to have balance as an offense, and the run game wasn’t good enough on Sunday, and I feel confident in myself that you put it in my hands and I’m going to make it work.”

The Bengals finished with just 23 total rushing yards on 15 attempts in the loss to the Jags — the lowest output of Burrow’s 81 career starts. Burrow’s 54 passing attempts were the third most he’s had in his career.

“When you get into a game like Sunday, and they’re a really good defense, really good front seven, and I felt like we were moving the ball pretty well in the pass game,” Burrow said. “I could have been better in spots to help our guys and not put our defense in bad positions with the turnovers. We’ve got to be more balanced going forward, and a big part of that is the run game.”

To that end, Burrow noted Cincinnati may start more plays from under center instead of shotgun.

“I’m comfortable doing whatever is needed and will execute my best,” Burrow said. “We obviously have to be better at it. We’re still going to stick with it and keep getting reps invested in that. I think it’s very valuable, so we have to be able to do it. But we need to be better.

“Under center play actions are built off the run game. Teams have to respect the run first and foremost so you don’t just get jet rushers off the edge. That just puts your offensive linemen in a bad spot when they’re trying to sell run but the defense isn’t respecting the run and just rushing the passer. That’s not a recipe for success, so that starts with the run.”

The Bengals will try to get their ground game going on the road against the Dolphins in Week 5.