Breaking: Cincinnati’s star quarterback Joe Burrow drop 2-word message after frustrated Bengals are 4-7 at their bye week and still looking for ways to win the close games

After the Bengals let yet another close game slip away, Joe Burrow acknowledged that this is the most frustrating season of his NFL career.

Someone asked why.

“Self-explanatory,” Cincinnati’s star quarterback said.

That it is.

Burrow is a fantastic football player. In addition to rushing for first downs and making amazing throws while running, he frequently takes huge blows from pass rushers who are poorly blocked.

But the Bengals keep losing the close ones. They are 4-7 at the bye week and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. They’d likely have to win all of their last six games to have a chance at the postseason.

Burrow, still not completely recovered from surgery on his throwing hand, leads the NFL in completions (274), passing yards (3,028) and touchdowns (27).

He has the distinction of being the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards with three TD passes and zero interceptions in back-to-back losses.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is also having an outstanding season. He’s leading the NFL in yards receiving (1,056), yards after the catch (481) and touchdowns (12). Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is leading the NFL with 11 1/2 sacks.

The bye week is certainly welcome in the Bengals’ camp.

“Just gives us a chance to be healthy,” Taylor said. “There’s not a lot of wholesale changes we need to make. Every game we lose comes down to the last play of the game. We’ve just got to find a way to win these and generate some momentum for ourselves.”

Cincinnati still has to play the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) twice, plus the Dallas Cowboys (3-7), Tennessee Titans (2-8), Cleveland Browns (2-8) and Denver Broncos (6-5).