Bengals QB Joe Burrow seems to enhance after stellar season
CINCINNATI — The scene contained in the Cincinnati Bengals‘ locker room resembled the aftermath of a mid-week observe within the fall.
Quarterback Joe Burrow, seated at his locker, together with his chair turned to face the center of the room, barely hunched over, analyzed one of many group’s offseason exercises. At the present time featured a stunning ball in a 7-on-7 drill to extensive receiver Andrei Iosivas, completely squeezed between three converging defenders.
It appeared as sharp as Burrow has ever appeared within the spring. However when offered with that notion, he shook his head back and forth. Even when it appears to be ok, in his thoughts, there’s at all times one other degree for him to hit.
That was a standard theme for him this offseason. Regardless of having an MVP-caliber season and getting back from an unprecedented wrist damage, Burrow believes he can do extra. And he is aware of that is what it can take to revive the Bengals as a playoff contender.
“On the finish of the day, you win and lose together with your quarterback play,” Burrow stated at first of the group’s obligatory minicamp in mid-June. “I will take that to coronary heart and be higher this 12 months.”
That may be a fairly excessive bar to clear. Final season, Burrow led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43). He was an MVP finalist and received Comeback Participant of the Yr for the second time in his profession.
However an extra examination of the numbers, particularly within the fourth quarter, may clarify why Burrow believes there’s nonetheless room to develop.
In 2024, Burrow was third in Whole QBR (74.7). However within the fourth quarter, Burrow’s QBR dropped to twelfth at 62.8. Whereas he did have 12 touchdowns within the last quarter, he additionally threw 5 interceptions — as many as Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson mixed, in response to ESPN Analysis.
To be truthful, these different three quarterbacks performed on considerably higher groups. Burrow and the Bengals needed to drag themselves out of a 4-8 begin to the season whereas the opposite squads chased a Tremendous Bowl, which Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles finally received.
There’s additionally a matter of Burrow’s efficiency when throwing into tight home windows. When a receiver has a yard of separation or much less by the point the ball arrives, Burrow posted the second-worst Whole Anticipated Factors Added in these conditions (-54.4), in response to Subsequent Gen Stats. Solely new Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was worse.
That provides better context to the dazzling throw Burrow to Iosivas within the 7-on-7 drill within the offseason. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher stated Burrow has been eyeing the power to squeeze the ball into these conditions.
“I simply see a man that is seen lots of soccer, performed lots of soccer and has no concern in any way,” Pitcher stated on June 11. “Whole consolation and confidence in himself and in his ability set. And if there is a window, he is gonna throw the ball. Does not matter how massive it [is].”
All through offseason exercises, Burrow spent additional time throwing on the group’s observe fields after the day’s session had wrapped up. The reasoning, he stated, was to repeatedly tweak his throwing movement, enhance its effectivity and develop a very good rhythm.
What was most fascinating was Burrow’s concession that he nonetheless is not absolutely recovered from his 2023 surgical procedure to restore the scapholunate ligament in his throwing wrist, an damage that has not been documented in quarterbacks or baseball pitchers.
Burrow feels that he’s making good progress in that pursuit of refinement.
“That is what retains you coming again once you’re enhancing,” Burrow stated. “It sucks once you’re working actually arduous and you are not seeing any enchancment, however in the event you’re working sensible then you definitely often do and that is fairly addicting.”
A greater Burrow might be what pushes the Bengals again into championship competition. The reminiscences of the Tremendous Bowl look on the finish of the 2021 season and a return journey to the AFC Championship Recreation in 2022 really feel distant after two straight nine-win campaigns that fell in need of the playoffs.
Each rep within the offseason and coaching camp is geared towards getting the Bengals again to that time.
“We all know the gamers we now have in that room, coaches we now have up there,” Burrow stated. “We all know the expectations we now have for ourselves — playoffs, Tremendous Bowl, AFC championship. That is the expectation round right here. We’ve to get again to it.”
