Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow is coming off his 2nd season ending injury after he tore his scapholunate ligament in his wrist. Essentially, it is almost the equivalent to tearing your ACL. The franchise field general, who signed a 5-year $275 million extension in 2023, is looking to rebound, and I have every reason to believe it’ll be his best season yet.
The Bengals Stunk during the start of 2023
Joe Burrow started off camp slinging the ball in 2023. However, on July 27th, Burrow pulled his calf which sidelined him for over a month. The injury clearly altered his style of play when the season opened on the road against the Cleveland Browns. He wasn’t mobile in the pocket, and he couldn’t plant his foot. His accuracy was all out of sorts, and he threw for a career low 82 yards. This style of play continued into the first half of the following game, vs the Baltimore Ravens. But the Bengals offense started to click, coming within 3 points. But, Burrow re-strained the same calf on a roll-out touchdown pass to WR Tee Higgins. This took Burrow out of practice the following week, but he played the Monday Night Football game vs the LA Rams.
He looked a bout as poor as he ever had in games vs the Rams and Titans. The Tennesee Titans blew the Bengals out 27-3. Burrow and the offense had no rythem and looked amongst the worst in the NFL.
The 2023 Rebound
He found his groove against the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in the following weeks, but you could tell the calf was still bothering him from time to time. And then, following the week 7 bye, Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback was finally healthy and ready to take vengeance.
Week 8 was a prove it game for the Bengals against the future NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. They finally had everyone healthy and it showed. Burrow looked like the QB the elite version of himself that earned him the big money. They dominated the game in every way, winning 31-17. Burrow threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns, earning AFC Player of the Week honors. The following week they played against the Bills in front of a sold out Sunday Night crowd. Burrow again dominated, throwing for a season high 348 yards, accompanied with two touchdowns.
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Burrow looked a little more human the following week against the Texans. However, he still threw a deep beauty running to his weak side to Ja’Marr Chase for a touchdown, a beautiful tight window hole shot touchdown to WR Trent Irwin, and was as accurate as ever. Then, Burrow’s season came to an abrupt end during a Thursday Night Football game against the Ravens, after tearing the ligament in his wrist. He was playing as good as anyone in the league, and it was taken from him in an instant.
Why Burrow is ready for an MVP season in Cincinnati
Early after the injury, there was a lot of concern over whether the fact that Joe Burrow would come back to his full form. No quarterback has ever torn this same ligament in the wrist. It was a unique challenge for Joe, but there is no tougher guy for the task. Early on from OTAs, the average eye could easily tell that Burrow was back to his true self. His mechanics were the same, the velocity on the ball looks stronger, and he has had no issues throwing deep down field. The issue early on was the deep down the field accuracy, but with a strong pass to Tee Higgins in a preseason game against the Buccaneers, I feel like he’s finding this groove. He looks like the elite guy we saw in 2021-22 and parts of 2023.
So why would a bunch of practice film and a useless preseason drive make me determine him the league’s 2024-25 MVP? To start, the Bengals will face 3 teams with a new head coach or quarterback within the first 4. It is arguably the easiest stretch that Burrow and the Bengals have had to start a season since he got into the league. This off-season has also been the longest stretch that Burrow has gotten to participate in a training camp. Add that on top of the fact that his off-season started roughly 8-12 weeks before the rest of the NFL, this is the most amount of training Burrow has had during his NFL career.
The preseason drive may seem pointless to some, but from a film standpoint, he was as poise, strong, and as accurate as he’s ever been. The touch and the accuracy is back. The leadership never left, but it’s back on the field. He is ready to take this offense and drive it through him.
The Depth of the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals
Did I mention the fact that Joe has the deepest set of playmakers he’s ever had? From a revamped tight end group featuring Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki, to a deep wide receiver room. That room returns pro bowl WR Ja’Marr Chase, star Tee Higgins, a consistent option in Trenton Irwin, and an influence of young guys looking to make a name for themselves. Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones, Jermaine Burton, and Kwamie Lassiter have all had really strong camps in their own regard.
He has a new running back in Zack Moss. The speedster Chase Brown is also looking for a strong second season. And don’t let the influx of playmakers distract you from the fact that Burrow has the best offensive line he’s ever had.
Burrow is hungry and ready for a championship
In a recent interview with Kay Adams, Burrow said that he is focused on only team oriented goals. He wants that ring. He wants to hoist the Lombardi in the same spot he hoisted the National Championship trophy. I think puting personal goals aside this year will propel Burrow to that MVP level of play. He is forever focused on nothing but football but the Super Bowl will be on his mind all year round. I expect Burrow to do whatever it takes, and that to me, will lead to an MVP. The MVP campaign kicks off September 8th against the Patriots and I hope you are as excited for Bengals football as I am.
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