‘Quarterback’ EP 3 Review: Bengals’ Joe Burrow Talks Criticism and Archaeology as Show Does Evan McPherson Dirty

CINCINNATI – Episode 3 of the Netflix Series “Quarterback” features the best opening montage yet, with the Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Lions’ Jared Goff and Falcons’ Kirk Cousin’s detailing the complex mental puzzle players at the position have to solve in the few seconds between the huddle and the snap.

While the quarterbacks take turns talking about safety alignment, pressure indicators and the like, there’s also a clip of all three talking at once, which is enough to leave even the most football savvy fan’s mind spinning.

Titled “Beautiful Minds,” also explores the quarterback’s interests outside the game, leading to a funny interaction between Burrow and a member of the support staff during practice.

After the two and a half-minute opening, the scene shifts to Cincinnati where the show picks up where it left off in Episode 2, with the Bengals and Ravens heading to overtime in Week 5.

Episode 1 review: Joe Burrow learns piano, but simple household task remains unmastered

Episode 2 review: Joe Burrow Pursues Playing Perfection but Learns of Major Fashion Miscue

It shows the Lamar Jackson fumble that put the Bengals in field goal range and the questionable run call that set up the game-winning field goal attempt.

Then the show does kicker Evan McPherson dirty, showing his missed field goal from behind the goal post with no shot of or comment about holder Ryan Rehkow dropping the snap, which led to the miss.

When talking about the loss and assessing blame, Burrow delivers one of his better quotes:

“I’m not a believer in yelling when someone misses an assignment. What happens when I f—k up? I’m not gonna yell at myself, and I wouldn’t want somebody yelling at me.”

The short segment concludes with the Burrow press conference where he talks about the 1-4 record and how it’s “not where we want to be.”

After 11 minutes and 30 seconds on Cousins and seven minutes on Goff, the show pivots back to Burrow and the Bengals.

While on the practice field, Burrow talks to a female staffer with water bottles about the trip to the Natural History Museum and how cool it was.

The show displays a photo of Burrow with teammates Alex Cappa, Ted Karras, Sam Hubbard and Cordell Volson at the museum.

A show producer asks why fossils were on his mind at that moment in practice.

“Because fossils are cool,” Burrow says. “When aren’t fossils on your mind? They go back millions of years. That’s sick.”

Burrow says he tried to buy some fossils, but the museum wouldn’t let him.

The segment moves on to the Week 6 Sunday night game against the Giants and show’s Burrow’s 47-yard touchdown run on third and 18.

The cameras and microphones catch referee Carl Cheffers coming up to Burrow a series or two later and telling him, “I didn’t know you were that fast.”

Burrow tells him, “Nobody does.”

That leads to the postgame press conference where Burrow is asked if that was his longest touchdown and he says he had one for 70 or 80 yards in elementary school.

And, of course, the show has footage of it.

Sticking with Burrow, the episode moves on to the Week 8 game against the soon-to-be Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

But instead of game footage, there are tailgate scenes with Burrow’s mom, Robin, showing off her tiger striped jack and shoes for the White Bengal game. That’s meshed with a bunch of game-day arrival videos displaying all of Burrow’s different outfits.

The clothing theme continues into game footage with a bunch of Eagles players yelling across the line to Burrow that they want to do a jersey swap with him afterward.

“You guys can fight over it if you want to,” he tells them.

After a few highlights of good plays, they roll into a bunch of Burrow getting hit. His dad, Jimmy, a former defensive coordinator at Ohio University, tells Robin the Eagles are about to blitz on a play.

They do, and they get the sack.

The segment ends with Burrow being asked about what the loss says about the team, and he says, “That we’re not good enough.”

He follows by saying winning seven of the final nine would get them to 10 wins and a likely playoff berth, then adds “that’s doable.”

The episode ends with five and a half minutes of Cousins and nine of Goff.

Burrow finishes with the least amount of airtime in this episode at 12 minutes, while Cousins gets the most with 17. Goff has 15.

For the season, Cousins leads Burrow 49 minutes to 48, with Goff a distant third at 39.