Joe Burrow is 17 games into his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. On Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, he leads the Bengals to a 41-17 statement win over the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow has been slowly coming into his own as his rehabilitated knee continues to get stronger every week. He saved the best game of his young career against a very good divisional opponent in Baltimore. This victory currently puts the 5-2 Bengals atop the AFC North and also the number one seed in the conference. The confidence and preparation that Burrow brings have trickled down to the coaches, players, and front office. With 10 games left, Burrow is playing like a top-five NFL quarterback and has the Bengals in a fantastic position for a playoff birth.
Joe Burrow Delivers Statement Game in Win Against Baltimore Ravens
Burrow was simply fantastic against one of the best defenses in the NFL. He threw for a career-high 416 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and a QB rating of 113.5. What’s surprising about this game was Burrow played the entire contest from the pocket. The Bengals offensive line only gave up one sack and Burrow was masterful, as usual, with his pocket mobility and awareness. Burrow knows this group is becoming a complete team right in front of the NFL’s eyes.
"We're becoming a complete team. We're going to keep getting better and better."
Joe Burrow joins @Melanie_Collins to discuss the @Bengals progress after their win over the Ravens. pic.twitter.com/Yv9LKMaFpv
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 24, 2021
The getting better and better part is what has to worry the rest of the NFL. Burrow has a multitude of offensive weapons that play complementary football and exude the confidence of their franchise leader.
Man up
The swarming type of defense the Ravens play is heavily predicated on the success of man-to-man coverage and winning those battles. Burrow knew this is what the Bengals were going to see. Early on, they had some trouble winning the one on ones and with some missed assignments. However, right before half, a 26-yard pass to Ja’Marr Chase against Marlon Humphrey that set up a field goal changed the dynamic of the game. This play gave the Bengals confidence knowing they could win one on one battles in the second half. Burrow stated after the game, “We knew what they do is they make you, they put you in a lot of one-on-one matchups, so you have to win, and that’s why guys get paid. You’ve got to go win the one-on-one matchup, and we have guys that did that today in the second quarter and the second half. We really won all of our one-on-one matchups that really mattered.”
The Burrow and Chase Connection
The connection between Burrow and Chase is transforming the Bengals franchise. Their play together is currently on another level. Seemingly every week, they dominate and embarrass defensive backs in this league. The key play in the game Sunday was on a ridiculous 82-yard three-step slant from Burrow to Chase that put the Bengals up 10.
He said he was going to break records.
Watch on CBS pic.twitter.com/xQWFlrj3YC
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 24, 2021
The accumulation of reps and the work put in between Burrow and Chase is creating nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators. Throw in other skill players such as Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon, and you have a Halloween scare-fest for the rest of the league all season long.
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