Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals went into their Week 9 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football looking to make a major statement to the rest of the NFL. After a rough start to the 2023 NFL season and Burrow dealing with a rough calf injury, many had started to write Cincinnati off already. They have answered the critics and have completely silence them to the tune of four straight wins.
Mixed within the winning streak, the health of Burrow has steadily gotten better and better. He finally looks like the superstar version of himself that fans have come to know and expect.
With all of that in mind, the future of this season looks extremely bright for Burrow and the Bengals. They once again have to be mentioned when it comes to Super Bowl contenders.
In Week 9 action against the Bills, Burrow reached a major NFL milestone. He became only the second NFL quarterback in league history, alongside Peyton Manning, to reach one impressive benchmark.
Burrow is just the second quarterback to ever complete at least 75 percent of his passes with a minimum of 150 attempts and also throw for 10 touchdowns in a four-game span. That feat was noted by OptaSTATS on Twitter.
Joe Burrow of the @Bengals is the second QB in NFL history to complete at least 75.0% of his passes (min. 150 attempts) while throwing for 10+ TDs over a 4-game span.
The other was Peyton Manning during his 2013 MVP season. pic.twitter.com/9MDMXdUAUA
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) November 6, 2023
Joe Burrow And The Bengals Deserve Much More Attention
There are clearly a few takeaways that need to be seen from this milestone and the streak that the Bengals are on.
Number one, the Bengals deserve respect from the media and fans once again. After becoming a bit of a laughing stock due to their brutal start, Cincinnati has effectively shut the mouth of their critics. It’s time to once again view them as a team that is more than capable of winning a Super Bowl this season.
Secondly, the hate and talk about Burrow regressing can go away now. It is difficult for a quarterback to deal with a calf injury and still make the plays and throws that they’re capable of making. At this rate, Burrow could work his way into the MVP conversation if he continues playing the way he has in recent weeks.
So far this season in eight games, Burrow has completed 66.9 percent of his pass attempts for 1,861 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He has also picked up 61 yards on the ground.
At just 26 years of age, there is no question that Joe Burrow has once again cemented himself as at top-three NFL quarterback. Many even go as far as to call him the clear-cut No. 2 best active quarterback in the NFL behind Patrick Mahomes. He’s showing exactly why some have that kind of belief in him.
Next up for the Bengals will be an interesting Week 10 matchup at home against CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans. That won’t be an easy game, unlike the Texans have been viewed as in recent years. Stroud has the Texans playing at a competitive level and Houston will come into this matchup with a 4-4 record and an electrifying offense.
Joe Burrow and company will need to bring their best this week. The offense will need to put up points and the defense will have to put pressure on the young quarterback and make some plays. More than likely, this game will turn into a high-scoring event between two very good offenses.
Expect to see Burrow come out firing once again this coming week. He’s playing at an elite level and has shown no signs of slowing down. Joining a quarterback legend like Peyton Manning in this impressive milestone is just one sign of how good the Bengals’ superstar quarterback has been playing.
Make sure to tune into the Bengals vs. Texans game next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST on CBS. Joe Burrow will look to help Cincinnati continue their impressive winning streak.
