Bengals head coach Zac Taylor doesn't plan on quarterback Joe Burrow throwing in Wednesday's practice in order to rest his dislocated throwing pinky, but both guys don't expect him to miss Sunday's game (4:25 p.m.) against the 49ers at Paul Brown Stadium.
"I don't foresee that happening," Burrow told the media Wednesday before practice. "It's getting better each day."
Burrow reported a little swelling ("but not too much") and says he'll be able to do such little but key things as taking a snap under center and handing it off with his right hand. After he injured the pinky on the fifth play of last Sunday's against the Chargers on sack-strip, Burrow had a few awkward moments handing off.
"Under center is fine because the ball doesn't hit the pinky too much," Burrow said. "When you're under center you can compensate for that."
Burrow says he'll try wearing a glove and other things in preparation for a day where a high of 48 degrees expected. Before the injury he had been toying with wearing a glove in cold weather, but both November PBS games were played in mild temperatures.
"We'll have to see. I'm going to try some things this week in practice to see what works best," Burrow said. "But we'll see. I don't really have all the answers yet."
One answer was clear Sunday when he tried to put on a glove after the injury.
"It was just too hard to get them on. Really too painful to get them on," Burrow said. "And I hadn't worked throwing with a glove any in practice yet … If it gets hit, it's a little painful but it's getting better each day."
When he went back and watched tape of his 38 passes, 22 of which he completed after the injury for 58 percent, about eight points below his percentage before the game, he didn't see much there.
"I thought I threw it well," Burrow said. "Obviously there are more issues that needed to be addressed but I don't think my pinky hampered my ability to execute the way I needed to."
Taylor said he's also optimistic he'll have for the 49ers the two offensive line starters who missed last Sunday's game with ankle injuries in center Trey Hopkins and right tackle Riley Reiff, although Taylor said they'll be limited Wednesday.
Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (foot) is going to stay off his feet Wednesday and Thursday and hopefully he'll be able to go Friday. Cornerback Trae Waynes, who re-injured his hamstring on the last scrimmage play of the Oct. 10 game against the Packers, returned to practice Wednesday. If he's good to go during the week, Taylor indicated he'll be active Sunday for his third game as a Bengal.
