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Joe Burrow 2.0: How the QB has thrived, even without Ja’Marr Chase

The third-year QB is quietly dominating without his favorite receiver.

Syndication: The Enquirer Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The legend of Joe Burrow continues to grow. At this point, the man is putting up 37 points at Pittsburgh by throwing touchdowns to Samaje Perine and Trenton Irwin.

How good has he been this season?

Well, clearly the best passer in his division according to Pro Football Focus.

And he’s near the top of the league for almost every traditional statistical category.

The best part? He’s still flying high even without Ja’Marr Chase.

He’s been able to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to their two highest point totals of the entire year (42 points against the Carolina Panthers and 37 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers) over the last two weeks by throwing to guys like Irwin, Trent Taylor, and Perine and putting them in position to pick up yards after the catch.

Burrow only seems to be getting better at utilizing all of his weapons. He was PFF’s highest graded QB in the entire NFL last week.

And that was against an impressive Steelers defense.

Burrow had great trust in guys like Irwin, throwing to him in tight spaces and when pressured.

But he’s also been throwing some absolute dimes to Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to compensate for the separation that Chase usually provides.

What Burrow is doing now is timing his passes and placing the ball perfectly to allow receivers to pick up key first downs and set up shorter touchdowns like the second two scores by Perine.

We discussed Burrow’s new approach and why it’s working with John Sheeran and o-line coach Parker Blake:

You can also listen on iTunes or using the player below: