Through the first five games of the season, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ranks seventh in the NFL in passer rating.
After he ranked 24th in the NFL in passer rating last year, Burrow improved his throwing mechanics. He improved his velocity, and he got better at making throws with defenders in his face.
Whether it was one of his deep passes to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, one of his throws after the pocket collapsed or one of his clutch throws in overtime, Burrow made about a dozen throws on Sunday that weren’t a part of his game last season.
Here are Burrow’s five most interesting plays from the Bengals' 25-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
3rd and 4 from the Bengals' 31-yard line. 10:29 left in the second quarter. Preston Smith sacks Joe Burrow for a 7-yard loss.
The Bengals went three-and-out on four drives in the first half, and every punt was a result of the offensive line and the pass protection for Burrow.
In the first series of the game, the offensive line didn’t create enough push at the line of scrimmage on a quarterback run on 3rd and 1. The next series was set back by a 9-yard sack on second down. In the second quarter, the Bengals suffered a third-down sack on the first drive of the quarter and a sack and a deflected pass on the second.
The sack at the start of the second quarter was the best example of the offense struggling to find a rhythm. On 3rd and 4, the Packers only rushed four defensive linemen.
Right as wide receiver Tyler Boyd broke open on an out route on the right side of the field and right as Samaje Perine released from his block and got open on a delayed flat route, left tackle Jonah Williams and right guard Jackson Carman both got beat in just two seconds.
Burrow had nowhere to go with the pocket caved in, and a sack ended the drive. For most of the first half, the Packers were able to pressure Burrow with just a four-man rush.
2nd and 6 from the Bengals' 27-yard line. 14:17 left in the third quarter. Joe Burrow completes a 28-yard pass to Ja’Marr Chase.
One of Burrow’s most improved skills this season is his ability to make throws with pass rushers in his face. He did it on the game-winning play to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, he did it on a few of his deep passes to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and he did it again early in the third quarter.
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The Packers bluffed a blitz but only had four pass rushers on the play. The disguise allowed a free runner to get past Carman’s right shoulder. When Burrow finished his three-step drop, Packers defensive lineman Dean Lowry was closer to Burrow than any of the Bengals offensive linemen. Lowry was one second away from an opportunity to make the biggest hit of the game.
Burrow has improved his throwing mechanics and created a quicker release, and that quick release saved him here. So did Chase’s athleticism at the line of scrimmage. After Chase cut inside and gained two steps of separation near the first down line, Burrow flicked a first down pass to Chase, who ran 20 yards after the catch to get the Bengals to the other side of the field.
1st and 10 from the Packers' 38-yard line. 1:53 left in the third quarter. Joe Burrow throws an incomplete deep pass to Ja’Marr Chase.
In the first half, Burrow completed a deep pass to Chase for the fifth straight game. In the third quarter, Burrow took a heat check and showed how much faith he has in the rookie wide receiver.
Since the Packers' four-man rush broke through the pocket in three seconds and since Burrow’s two check-down receivers were covered, he had to take a risk. And the risk he has shown he’s most comfortable taking is throwing the ball to Chase when the rookie is in one-on-one coverage.
Chase ran a go route down the right sideline, and Burrow’s only choice was to throw it to him. Burrow, who took a big hit on the play, threw what was likely his highest arcing pass of the season, hoping Chase could track it down. They didn’t connect, but it was reminiscent of how the Bengals used A.J. Green in the early 2010s.
During Green’s career, Andy Dalton often threw a 50/50 ball in Green’s direction when a play broke down because they believed Green could convert enough of them. Chase now has that role in the Bengals offense.
3:27 left in the fourth quarter. 2-point conversion attempt. Joe Burrow completes a pass to Tee Higgins for the two-point conversion.
The reason that the Bengals selected Ja’Marr Chase in the 2021 NFL Draft is because of how much head coach Zac Taylor and the front office thought a third wide receiver could add to the offense.
During Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd’s NFL career, he said he has learned that a defense can double-team two wide receivers. But it’s impossible for a defense to place that much attention on three different receivers simultaneously.
In the fourth quarter on Sunday, the Bengals had the chance to tie the score with a two-point conversion. Because Chase has been the Bengals' best receiver this season, Burrow’s first read was to throw Chase a goal-line fade on the left sideline. The Packers' secondary bracketed Chase on the play and took away the window for Burrow to throw Chase the ball.
On the right side of the field, wide receiver Tee Higgins was in one-on-one coverage. With a pick play with Boyd, Higgins broke open over the middle. Higgins entered the year as the Bengals' best red-zone threat, but the Packers had shifted their attention to Chase. So Higgins beat them and reeled in a high pass in the middle of the field.
1st and 10 from the Bengals' 25-yard line. 9:55 left in overtime. Joe Burrow throws an interception to De'Vondre Campbell.
Over the last two seasons, one of the Bengals' most efficient plays has involved Burrow and Boyd. As a result, the Bengals ran it on the first play of overtime and gave Boyd a chance to make a short pickup.
Burrow and Boyd both have options, and Boyd often leaks over the middle depending on how the opposing linebacker plays him. This time, when the Packers double-teamed Boyd over the middle, Boyd didn’t cut back toward the right side of the field like Burrow likely anticipated. Packers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell jumped the passing route and picked off Burrow.
“(Burrow’s) used to me running past guys’ faces,” Boyd said. “It was a misconnection on that play…. That was very rare to see that with me and him. We always connect. That’s our bread-and-butter play.”
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