Boomer Esiason compares can’t miss Joe Burrow to Andrew Luck
Bengals legend Boomer Esiason said on the NFL Today rookie quarterback Joe Burrow is a can’t miss player and reminds him of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is on a record-setting pace as a rookie. Burrow impressed Bengals legend Boomer Esiason who called him can’t miss and compared the 2020 number one pick to former Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck. Burrow is on pace to set NFL rookie passing records set by Luck.
Through the first eight games of the Bengals 2020 season, Burrow has completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,272 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Luck set the rookie passing mark with 4,374 passing yards and five 300-yard games in 2012. Burrow is on pace for 4,544 passing yards and has five 300-yard games in 2020.
Esiason who is third on the Bengals in career passing yards praised Burrow on Sunday on the CBS NFL Today pre-game show. Burrow was compared by the last QB to lead the Bengals to the Superbowl to Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway and 2021 HoF lock Peyton Manning with Luck and Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
Joe Burrow was been repeatedly praised for his poise and intellect at QB. Those are traits that made Manning a legend. Burrow has more mobility than Manning did, but less than Elway or Murray. Luck was not the runner that Elway was or Murray is but accumulated 1,590 rushing yards and 14 TDs in six seasons in the NFL.
Esiason discussed Burrow being a can’t miss prospect, Burrow’s resiliency, the Bengals misses at QB and how the rookie QB compares to his first NFL season. In his 1984 rookie season, Esiason played in 10 games with four starts, completing 50 percent of his passes for 530 yards, three TDs and three interceptions.
"“Remember what I told you?… A hundred percent. You know it immediately. There are certain guys you can tell immediately and he was one of those guys…A can’t-miss guy…He’s a pocket passer.He doesn’t run as much as Andrew Luck, but his assimilation to the game, his mindset, his thought process, his ability to make plays reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck…Andrew Luck was considered a can’t-miss player. John Elway was a can’t-miss player. Peyton Manning was a can’t-miss player.I think the jury was out on Kyler Murray when he was drafted just because of his size. But he’s now obviously a can’t-miss player. Joe going into this was a can’t-miss player. I think playing at Ohio State and LSU and being the all-state point guard, he was ready. He was ready for this. His success has shocked me a little bit.But as I watch each and every week, he just picks himself up and gets right to it… I mean there’s not anything this kid (Burrow) can’t do on the field…He’s started every game. From game one on, man…. They’ve missed on a few first-round quarterbacks, but they’ve gotten a bunch. They hit on Carson (Palmer). They hit on, obviously, Joe.”If I compare it to me, I was completely lost my rookie year…This kids looks like he picked up the playbook right from LSU and brought it with him.”"
Burrow has potentially the toughest matchup of his rookie season when the Bengals host the 8-0 Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Remarkably it is the first 8-0 start in Steelers’ history. Pittsburgh has the fifth-ranked pass defense and is third in turnover margin. Burrow will have to continue taking care of the ball.
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Burrow is eighth in the NFL with just 1.5 percent of his passing attempts intercepted. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is sixth just ahead of Burrow with 1.4 percent of his passes intercepted in 2020. The Bengals are second in attempts and 10th in passing yards in 2020. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati kicks off at 4:25 PM Sunday.