If there was any doubt that the Bengals would be selecting Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Burrow took a flamethrower to it this past weekend with an absolutely absurd 493-yard 8-touchdown (including one rushing touchdown) performance in LSU’s 63-28 Peach Bowl win over Oklahoma.
Here are 5+ plays to get you excited about the Bengals in 2020 and beyond with Burrow at quarterback.
Honorable Mention:
John Ross is gonna like this guy pic.twitter.com/yOWuBL60JH
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
The fact that this play is just an honorable mention should give you a pretty good idea about what kind of player Burrow is.
This is a beautiful over-the-shoulder completion to Justin Jefferson for a touchdown. Burrow hits him right in stride.
Imagine what this guy will be able to do with John Ross.
5.
Joe Burrow doing his best Brett Farve pic.twitter.com/W6YR6rbLAW
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
Nik Bonitto comes hard off the edge for the Sooners and forces Burrow to move up in the pocket. Burrow then scrambles to his left, but keeps his eyes towards the endzone.
He finds Terrance Marshall Jr. who has come from the opposite side of the formation and is just in front of the defender who is covering him man-to-man.
Burrow squares his hips as he throws the ball and he kicks through with his left foot. This gives his throw more power and he zips this ball into an extremely tight window for the touchdown.
An awesome play that Burrow creates with his legs.
4.
Ridiculous pic.twitter.com/9dc0lSBl61
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
If you are looking for the definition of an off-platform throw, this is it.
Oklahoma only rushes 3 players and Burrow has some time but he eventually has to move up in the pocket. Once again, he keeps his eyes downfield.
He finds what he is looking for and throws a deep pass down the field to Ja’Marr Chase. As he throws he is also running, jumping, and twisting his hips.
This is a great play from Burrow and he makes the throw from a totally jacked-up body position.
3.
3rd and forever pic.twitter.com/jcamArov5t
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
It looked like Oklahoma finally had them as a penalty put the Tigers in 3rd and 18 and pressure started to collapse the pocket from both sides.
Burrow stays in the pocket, steps up and throws a great ball to Chase over the middle for the first down.
This play showed great poise and focus and the ability to win in a difficult situation. It also showed that Burrow, who is known for his ability to make plays outside of the pocket, can get it done in the pocket as well.
The very next play pic.twitter.com/a8uv6BVwSG
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
On the very next play, Burrow found Jefferson for another long touchdown.
Of course what is most remarkable about this play is that it didn’t even make the top 10. I just threw it in for context.
From 3rd an extra long, to 1 1st down, to a touchdown.
Even when they thought they had Burrow in a corner, he was only 2 plays from a touchdown. Those two plays must have destroyed Oklahoma’s defense mentally.
The top two are both absolutely insane and were extremely difficult to choose between, but hey... that’s why I make the big bucks.
2.
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
LaRon Stokes is rushing the edge and gets around the right tackle.
Burrow steps in front of the rush and then scrambles to the right. He squared his hips and kept his eyes downfield where he found Chase in the endzone for the long touchdown.
This would have been a great deep ball from the pocket, but it is even crazier that he threw this ball on the move.
So how could that pass possibly NOT be his top play of the night? Because Joe Burrow is a freakin’ stud who was playing out of his mind in the Peach Bowl, that’s how.
1.
Burrow outruns the tite camera pic.twitter.com/L9Hl9jFS3M
— Matt Minich (@CoachMinich) December 28, 2019
Hopefully you were able to stick with my camera work as I went from 1 view to another.
This play starts on the left hash, but Burrow eventually takes off to his right.
As always, Burrow keeps his eyes downfield. A legion of Sooners are in hot pursuit as Burrow nears the sideline, but he turns and jumps in the air, throwing the ball downfield as he is hit by Davis Ugwoegbu.
He completes the ball deep to Marshall, who is covered tightly by the Oklahoma defense.
Burrow did some awesome things on Saturday night, but this play takes the cake. He threw a great deep ball and placed it perfectly while jumping and getting knocked out of bounds by a defender.
Burrow is going to be extremely fun to watch running around in a tiger-striped helmet next year. The future is bright in Cincinnati.