The Cincinnati Bengals are going to be playing in the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season after defeating the Buffalo Bills in snowy Orchard Park Sunday afternoon, 27-10. A big reason for the team’s success and dominant victory over the Bills is the performance of quarterback Joe Burrow.
The poor weather conditions didn’t slow Joe Burrow down as he meticulously picked apart what had been a dominant Bills defense with relative ease. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns to go along with six rushes for 31 yards.
Performances like that are becoming commonplace for the first overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. No matter how good the opposing defense is, he has been putting his team in a position to win games all season long.
There is no debate that Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in this league despite only being in Year 3. One analyst, in particular, is ready to anoint him as the best one in the NFL. Former Pro Bowl linebacker London Fletcher spoke very highly of Joe Burrow during an appearance on MQB this week.
“I think this is the scariest team in football and it’s because of the play of Joe Burrow. … He’s, right now, the best quarterback in the National Football League playing in the playoffs!”
It would be hard to argue against Fletcher given how well Joe Burrow and the Bengals are playing. His counterpart in the AFC Championship Game, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, would likely garner some votes for that distinction. But, a high ankle sprain could hamper his performance in the game.
The only issue to be concerned about when it comes to Joe Burrow is the offensive line in front of him. They are down multiple starters with La’El Collins and Jonah Williams both suffering injuries knocking them out of the lineup. Center Ted Karras is battling through an injury of his own as well.
If that unit can keep Joe Burrow protected in the pocket, he is going to continue performing at a high level. With arguably the best group of skill position players in the NFL, production is almost guaranteed if the offensive line can get the job done.
