The Cincinnati Bengals made an improbable run to Super Bowl 56, in large part, because of the play of second-year quarterback, Joe Burrow. Burrow made a triumphant return in 2021 after tearing up his knee during his rookie season.
Burrow took home the comeback player of the year award, which speaks volumes to what he was able to accomplish. He completed a league-high 70.4 percent of his passes, throwing for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions.
Burrow was just as good during the postseason run. He completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns compared to two interceptions in four games. The Bengals defeated the Las Vegas Raiders at home before going on the road to defeat the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl.
What makes those statistics even more impressive is that Burrow is constantly under siege in the backfield. The Bengals’ offensive line is not very good, as Burrow was sacked a league-high 51 times during the regular season. They were even worse in the postseason, as Burrow was sacked 19 times in four games.
According to PFF, 70 total sacks between the regular season and postseason is the third-most in the history of the NFL.
The offensive lines that the Bengals have put Burrow behind during his first two seasons in the NFL are criminal. They are going to cut short what looks to be a very promising career because he is getting battered week in and week out.
In 30 career games, Burrow has taken 102 sacks. If that number does not improve beginning next season, it will be a detriment to his career. He also suffered one serious knee injury and looked like he barely avoided another in the Super Bowl when he was rolled up on, grabbed his leg and screamed in pain.
The fact that the Bengals advanced as far as they did into the postseason, given their offensive line struggles, is truly remarkable. They have the pieces to be a contending team for years to come, but if they do not fix the offensive line, it will be all for naught.
Reaching the Super Bowl isn’t easy and it is even more difficult when your franchise quarterback gets hit as often as Burrow does. Improving the offensive line should be task No. 1, 2 and 3 this offseason for the Bengals if they want to sustain this level of success.
