Cincinnati Bengals: Comparing Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa

 In the thrilling matchup between Alabama and LSU, Bengals fans got a potential look at their next franchise quarterback. Here, we compare Heisman candidates Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa.

Saturday’s marquee college football matchup saw Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers pull off an impressive victory against Tua Tagovailoa and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tagovailoa was 21-40 for 418 yards with four touchdowns to only one interception, all on a bad ankle. Burrow had a more efficient game, going 31-39 for 393 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Both solidified their case to scouts and the world that they are legitimate first round NFL talents. each made some incredible throws to keep their respective teams in winning position.

For fans wondering how they will translate to the NFL, the Crimson Tide QB has drawn comparisons to Russell Wilson. The Tigers signal caller has been compared to the likes of Carson Palmer, Gino Torretta, and Matt Leinhart by his head coach, Ed Orgeron.

They each have different leadership styles. Tagovailoa has a calmer demeanor that demands the respect of his opponents and raises the level of play in his teammates. Burrow’s confidence has allowed him to win over a talented locker room and program that has consistently under performed for years and make them National Championship contenders.

Both are jockeying to be the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which the Bengals currently hold. Here is break down of some of the more important traits found in NFL quarterbacks to see who holds the edge.

Arm Strength: Tagovailoa

Burrow doesn’t have a weak arm by any means, but Tagovailoa has an effortless arm strength that gives him a clear advantage. It was especially evident in a couple of plays on Saturday. On multiple occasions, he had a defender dragging him to the ground and he was still able to get the ball to his target accurately. This kind of broken play allows him to show how effortlessly he can flick the ball down the field.

The clip above via @CBSSports shows just how easily the lefty is able to air it out deep.

Accuracy: Burrow

Despite Saturday’s outlier for Tagovailoa, both quarterbacks are very accurate, but Burrow holds the edge. On the season, he’s cashing in on 78.8% of his attempts while Tagovailoa is at 74.7%. Burrow was able to really show his accuracy with the back shoulder throw throughout the game against the talented Alabama defensive backs.

Mobility: Burrow

Comparing the two while Tagovailoa is playing on a bad ankle seems unfair, but Burrow showed enough before Saturday game to get the nod here. Neither quarterback is particularly a “runner,” but both can get it done on the ground when pressure is coming.

Burrow has a sneaky athleticism about him that really helps him pick up first downs. Defenders think they have him pinned for a sack, but he has got enough acceleration to get on the edge and make them pay.

You can see in the clip above from former Bengals assistant @CoachPaulAlex, the threat of Burrow running opens up opportunities in the passing game.

Pocket Presence: Tagovailoa

Like each area, this is a close one. Tagovailoa has shown more to this point. With so much pressure coming from both sides in Saturday’s game, the Hawaiian native was able to step up in the pocket more consistently. He was also able to limit the opponent to three sacks.  Burrow hit the dirt five times.

Anticipation: Burrow

The Ohio native holds the edge here. Burrow was able to consistently dismantle Alabama’s zone defenses and hit the back shoulder of his receivers when he needed to. Tagovailoa is no slouch in this area, but he is  just a tick behind Burrow. LSU was able to confuse him at one point in Saturday’s game, causing an interception.

Football IQ: Draw

If I’m the Bengals, this category is the deciding factor for who to pick between the two. You get a sense of their football intelligence from pre-snap reads and portions of film, but there really is no way to be certain who holds the edge until they get in a meeting room at the combine.

Burrow won three of the five categories, but they are so close in each that you can make an argument for either quarterback. It is becoming increasingly more evident that both guys have strong potential to be franchise cornerstones.  If the Bengals decide quarterback is the way to go at the top of this coming draft, they have a tough decision to make, but there may be no wrong answer.