Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals shocked everyone with the run that they went on during the most recent postseason. They earned home field during Wild Card weekend, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders. But, what they did after that made everyone take notice.
The Bengals took their show on the road and kept winning. They would defeat the No. 1 seeded Tennessee Titans during the Divisional Round before taking down the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
While their run was stopped by the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl, it was still a memorable run for a young Bengals team. A big reason for their success is having Burrow as the starting quarterback.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has quickly ascended the ranks and is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. What can we expect to see from him during his third season in the NFL? Here are three bold predictions for Burrow in the 2022 season.
3. Cuts Sacks In Half
One of the issues that the Bengals have faced since Joe Burrow has taken over as the starter is their inability to keep him upright. Burrow is routinely crushed by pass rushers, as he has absorbed 83 sacks in 26 regular-season games.
Things didn’t get any better in the postseason, as Burrow was sacked 19 times in four games. Cincinnati has to fix that if they want Burrow to continue playing at a high level, so they went out and upgraded the offensive line this offseason.
It will pay dividends, as Burrow’s sack total will be cut in half this season. After being sacked 70 times between the regular season and playoffs, he will absorb 35 this time over the course of the regular season and however many playoff games the Bengals play in.
2. Improves Win Total
Last season, the Bengals came out of nowhere to experience the level of success that they did. A lot of attention was being given to their AFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns, who had a successful 2020 season and were looking to build upon that.
The Browns came up short in that quest, but the Bengals won’t. Cincinnati will improve their win total again in 2022, as Burrow will lead them to at least 12 wins this upcoming season and another AFC North title.
Cincinnati won’t get the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they will host a playoff game for the second consecutive year. That is quite a feat for a team that went over three decades between playoff wins to turn into a perennial playoff team.
1. Joe Burrow Wins MVP
With the improvements that the Bengals are going to make when it comes to their win-loss record, Joe Burrow will garner some attention for some personal awards. With the offensive line playing better in front of him, it will result in a huge statistical season and the MVP award heading to Cincinnati.
Burrow will throw for at least 4,750 yards and remain one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. Only this time, he will be doing it from a cleaner pocket. In addition to the new career-high in yardage, Burrow will set a career-high with 38 touchdown passes.
Interceptions were a bit of a bugaboo for him last season, as he threw 14. But, he will cut down that number drastically and throw only eight in 17 games. With the Bengals taking home another division title and his production being taken to another level, Burrow will earn the 2022 MVP award.
