Burrow praises 'awesome' position group that could take Bengals to the Super Bowl
Last year's Divisional Round playoff game was on everyone's minds as the Cincinnati Bengals visited the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. On the one hand, the home team wanted its revenge. On the other, the Bengals wanted to make a statement as the still-reigning AFC Champions. There was some poetry to the whole thing. The betting […]
Last year's Divisional Round playoff game was on everyone's minds as the Cincinnati Bengals visited the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. On the one hand, the home team wanted its revenge.
On the other, the Bengals wanted to make a statement as the still-reigning AFC Champions.
There was some poetry to the whole thing. The betting markets struggled to determine the favorite and the game was a "pick 'em" affair as kickoff closed in.
In hindsight, the game felt a little poetic as one couldn't help thinking about the Bengals' journey since the offseason began.
After being sacked nine times on that same field in January and spending all of the offseason (and even the early part of the regular season) talking about the improvements upfront, Joe Burrow stood firm and comfortable in one of the absolute best pockets he's played in all season long.
"They're playing as good as anybody in the league," said Burrow when asked about the Bengals' offensive line postgame.
"Our run game is really taking off. Our protection was awesome today. I had so much time in the pocket to be able to find guys or try to find an escape route and go make plays with my legs."
The Bengals quarterback was sacked once all game long. And even that happened in a long-developing play as Burrow looked for a deep shot on second and nine.
Other than that, Joey B stood in a cushy pocket while throwing darts all over the field. After a slow start offensively, Burrow settled down when it mattered the most, completing 6-of-7 pass attempts for 112 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter for a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Just how good did the Bengals offensive line play on Sunday?
Below is a Next Gen Stats graph showing the average separation between the quarterback and the Titans' defenders. The only player above average was Bud Dupree and even he was mostly neutralized.
That's a good offensive line at work.
"So proud of those guys for how they're playing," Burrow told reporters.
If the Bengals' offensive line keeps it up, the ceiling for this team is as high as anyone else's in the NFL. They've now proven they can limit even T.J. Watt and show up consistently.
After one of the biggest wins of the season, the Bengals will turn around and host the Kansas City Chiefs as Burrow tries to go 3-0 against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
