'That makes my job a little bit easier' — Bengals LT Orlando Brown Jr. details his favorite strength of Joe Burrow's game
Orlando Brown Jr. is entering his third year at left tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. He's suited up 21 times to block for Joe Burrow since coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs and protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side and has played a total of 119 games including postseason appearances.He's seen a lot of ball […]
Orlando Brown Jr. is entering his third year at left tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. He's suited up 21 times to block for Joe Burrow since coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs and protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side and has played a total of 119 games including postseason appearances.
He's seen a lot of ball and knows plenty of it. No one's better to explain if whether or not a quarterback is easy to block for than an experienced left tackle who's made a handful of Pro Bowls to boot.
When asked by Jon Gruden in a recent interview what it's like being Burrow's LT, the first thing to come to Brown's mind was his pocket management.
"One of my favorite things about him is I know where he's gonna be in the pocket," Brown told Gruden. "So for me, that makes my job a little bit easier.
"I love blocking for Joe man, it's been really cool and such a blessing to be able to be on this side of his transition as he moves into an MVP-caliber player."
This area of Burrow's game is often questioned, perhaps even more than his arm talent. The 28-year old QB has taken 225 sacks (including playoff games) and has taken his fair share of hits as well. A fierce discussion about it on X/Twitter was started not too long ago courtesy of Steve Patton.
Raw numbers indicate Burrow takes more sacks than the average passer, but what better context to provide than the testimony of the guy who blocks for him? Being able to block while having comfort in where the QB will be in the pocket is not a given in football, but it's the first thing Brown thinks of when describing Burrow's game.
Not exactly the description of someone who lacks pocket management.
There are times when Burrow does take a hit or two, oftentimes due to quick losses in protection or while trying to extend plays out of structure. His ability to shake them off for the next play has caught Brown's eye as well.
"Joe is tough as hell," Brown said. "And people don't really know that. He loves the game of football so much, especially Sundays, but most importantly the preparation. The walkthroughs, the practices. He's very detailed."
Burrow played his first full 17-game season in 2024 and took 48 sacks, three fewer than his 2021 campaign in which he played 16 games. He was taken down 41 times in 16 games back in 2022. He also threw for 14,004 passing yards and 112 touchdowns in those three seasons combined.
Sacks are going to be part of Burrow's game, but so long as Brown and his fellow linemen operate with the confidence Burrow gives them, there's little need to overanalyze the numbers in their rawest form.