Joe Burrow has always been best when the chips are stacked against him. In a pivotal moment of the Cincinnati Bengals season, he again boosted his team and has them at 4-3 after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 31-17. Burrow’s performance was one of the best of his stellar NFL career as he went 28-32 for 283 passing yards with three touchdowns and a QB rating of 134.8. Burrow was in control the entire game and had several plays where he broke contain to end the day with 43 yards rushing, as he finally seems recovered from the calf strain suffered in training camp. The Bengals schedule is a grind for the final 10 games of the year, and they will need vintage Burrow to carry them the rest of the way to get back in the AFC North divisional race. Next up is the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football under the lights at Paycor Stadium.
Joe Burrow Delivers MasterClass Against San Francisco 49ers
Joe X Ja’Marr
The connection between Burrow and All-Pro wideout Ja’Marr Chase is well-established. Even with this disclaimer, the duo never ceases to amaze with the chemistry that fuels this Bengals offense when they need it most. Chase was also brilliant against San Fran in going for 100 yards on 10 receptions with one touchdown to put Cincinnati up by 14 to start the 4th quarter.
The Bengals did a great job again of moving Chase around to keep the 49ers off balance. The most often overlooked part about Chase’s game is how cerebral he is. He knows every wide receiver position and the concepts that go with it. This allows the coaching staff to vary the route tree Chase can run, and it often pays dividends.
Magic Show
The process of getting Burrow to where he is now has been arduous. The offense couldn’t perform efficiently, and the playbook had to be paired down based on the limitations of the calf stain. Those concerns finally seemed entirely erased after the fifth play of the game.
Taylor noted how important this play was in catapulting the Bengals to victory stating “You talk about the games we lost. It was those plays we didn’t make, I don’t use that word ‘unbelievable,’ anymore. I’ve learned to sit there and not say anything, think anything when (Burrow) is back there in the pocket. Moving around. Just learn your lesson. Year four.”
Pocket Aces
Burrow’s defining trait has always been his mobility in the pocket and the subtle things he does within confined spaces. This other missing puzzle piece was put back together yesterday as well to complete his MasterClass.
When Burrow can move like this and play with sound mechanics and footwork it’s beautiful to watch. The climb this season to the top of the AFC North will be daunting after the hole that was dug early on. This is nothing new for Cincinnati, and this team knows when the chips are stacked against you with Burrow, it’s best to go All-In.
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