Joe Burrow should take comment from Chiefs OC on Monday personally and use it as motivation
There's been no shortage of bulletin board material — some of it inadvertent — shared between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs over the last year. Kansas City is the best team in the conference. As defending Super Bowl champs (and winners of two of the last four Super Bowls), the Chiefs are […]
There's been no shortage of bulletin board material — some of it inadvertent — shared between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs over the last year.
Kansas City is the best team in the conference. As defending Super Bowl champs (and winners of two of the last four Super Bowls), the Chiefs are the franchise that everyone else is chasing.
And the Bengals, thanks to Joe Burrow and company, are the top threat to Kansas City's budding dynasty.
The bulletin board material is undoubtedly used by both teams. Burrow admitted last year during the playoffs that while he doesn't need motivation/bulletin board material, he'll use it if it's there (though admittedly, he doesn't know if it helps or not).
(I'm sure every Bengals fan remembers the fallout from "BurrowHead" and the Cincinnati mayor calling out Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.)
On Monday, Burrow received a fresh dose of bulletin board material (if he chooses to use it) from Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
The former Chicago Bears head coach, who rejoined KC's staff last season, said on Monday that there's no one around who is as competitive as Mahomes.
"Number one is competitiveness," said Nagy when asked what sets Mahomes apart. "There's no one around that's as competitive as him. Nobody. It's just as simple as that. And I've been around a lot of people, no one's as competitive as him. So he's No. 1 and there is no 1A."
Nagy is essentially saying that no one is even close to being on the same level as Mahomes when it comes to competitiveness, which obviously includes Burrow — a player that has been consistently described as one of the most competitive quarterbacks to step onto the field in the last decade.
There's no doubt that Mahomes is a tremendous competitor, but Burrow is right there with him. And if you don't believe me, just listen to what his two head coaches from college said in the past about Burrow's competitiveness.
"He's got that 'it' factor," said former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron in early 2022. "He's got a little swag. He's got toughness. But Joe is the smartest quarterback and smartest football player I've ever been around. He's focused — he's laser-focused — every day. Joe's about winning. Joe's about hard work. And Joe don't put up with anything. He has the ability of being, probably — like you said, everybody in Cincinnati believes in him. You see that. But it's no BS with Joe. He's like the coach on the field. His dad was a football coach. Every day is strictly business. It's about football. It's about winning with Joe."
"His leadership skills, his toughness, competitive — you talk about a competitive maniac, that’s who Joe Burrow is," noted former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer in 2020.
Orgeron and Meyer have both won national championships (Meyer won championships at Florida and Ohio State), so I'd say they know what they're talking about when it comes to competitiveness and having the "it factor".
The Chiefs and the Bengals don't play until December 31, so there's plenty of time for bulletin board material to be exchanged between both sides.
But Burrow should definitely take the comment about Mahomes' competitiveness and file it away for late December. So far, Burrow has the edge in the series against Mahomes and the Chiefs (Joey B has a 3-1 record against Mahomes). And I'm sure Burrow's legendary competitiveness will have him obsessed with getting to four wins against Mahomes when Week 17 arrives.
By the way, if you want an example of Burrow's extreme competitiveness, look no further than LSU's Fiesta Bowl win against UCF at the end of the 2018 season. Burrow, who was in his first year at LSU after transferring from Ohio State, was laid out via a block after throwing a pick 6. UCF took a 14-3 lead as a result of the pick 6.
Despite getting destroyed, Burrow remained in the game and proceeded to lead LSU to a 40-32 win while throwing for 394 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception.
You can't tell me there's "no one close" to Mahomes' competitiveness after seeing that clip of Burrow.
Ja’Marr Chase is using Joe Burrow to voice concerns to the Bengals front office
Cincinnati WR Ja’Marr Chase is using QB Joe Burrow to voice his concerns to the Bengals front office
Featured image via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
