Joe Burrow: 'Strong start' could slow Rams pass rush in Super Bowl

A topic not going anywhere in the days and hours leading up to the Super Bowl LVI showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams is the clash involving the sieve-like Cincinnati offensive line and dominant Los Angeles defensive front. 

Bengals second-year quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked a league-worst 51 times during the regular season even though he was a spectator for the Week 18 game at the Cleveland Browns, while the Rams pass-rush features a three-time Defensive Player of the Year desperate to add a Super Bowl title to his resume in Aaron Donald.

Some rolled their eyes when Burrow remarked Monday he has "the utmost confidence" his line will protect him when it matters most this weekend. The 25-year-old offered more on the subject when speaking with reporters Wednesday. 

"We’d like to start out fast," Burrow explained about his offense's mindset, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "They have a really good pass rush so when they know that a team’s dropping back and throwing the ball, they kind of tee off. So we want to get out to a strong start.

"But whatever the game calls for, for us to win, we’re going to go out and do. If we get behind early, we’re not going to panic. So maybe a comeback is going to be necessary, but we’d like to jump out early and control the game." 

As Ben Baby noted for ESPN, Bengals assistant coach Frank Pollack said Tuesday the Cincinnati offensive line has "faced a lot of damn good D-lines" and will be ready for Sunday's challenge. Things could be made somewhat easier for Burrow if tight end C.J. Uzomah can play through the sprained MCL he suffered in the AFC Championship Game, but his status for the Super Bowl likely won't be known before Friday at the earliest.