Story byChris Roling, Bengals WireMon, January 19, 2026 at 1:47 AM UTC·2 min readAs one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow tends to get dragged into the conversation even when he’s not actually suiting up for a game. Case in point, the NFL playoff chaos this weekend. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith Burrow and other big names like Patrick Mahomes missing from the playoffs, the pressure was on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Instead, Allen stumbled in a loss to Denver, throwing two interceptions and fumbling three times, losing two of them. The fallout has been immense. RELATED: Duke Tobin's anticipated Bengals address underwhelmsFor Bengals fans, it’s a constant reminder of what could’ve been had the Bengals been able to sneak into a horrific AFC playoff bracket. For everyone else, it’s a chance to once again fire up the Burrow vs. Allen vs. Mahomes vs.