Winning the AFC North at the beginning of the season didn’t seem like a realistic goal for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals but here we are. Burrow mentioned that he and the rest of the team were laughed at when they said they wanted to win the division this year and he and the guys have the last laugh.
The season isn’t over but Bengals fans should be thrilled about where this team is at in just the second year of Burrow’s career and the first full season he’s played in.
With all of that in mind, it’s time to give Burrow a grade for his Week 17 performance. This shouldn’t be hard.
What grade does Joe Burrow deserve for what he did against the Chiefs?
Burrow had yet another outstanding performance on Sunday, completing 30-of-39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns while adding 10 yards on the ground. Burrow did all of this damage despite not having good protection, as he was sacked four times, including twice on the first five offensive plays.
Early in the game, Burrow was able to shatter the single-season passing yards record for the Bengals, which was previously held by Andy Dalton for what he did in 2013. He also passed the all-time touchdown record for the organization, also previously held by Dalton.
In his past two games, Burrow has thrown for 971 yards and eight touchdowns and he’s absolutely on fire. It’s hard not to be excited about the future of the Cincinnati Bengals with how well Burrow has played recently. Maybe this team doesn’t end up getting past the first game of the playoffs but it’d be hard to argue that this season wasn’t a success.
So, getting back to the point of the article, what grade does Burrow deserve?
Last week I gave the gunslinger an A+ for his 525-yard and four touchdown performance against the Ravens. Yes, that defense was filled with practice squad players, but he did exactly what he should have done against them.
Why should I not give Burrow another perfect score for his efforts vs. a Chiefs defense that was playing incredibly well coming into this game? Kansas City was winners of eight straight games and their defense was mostly to thank for that. Burrow lit them up and made them look downright terrible. Oh and he did it all without a nameplate on his jersey, which makes him look even more like a badass.
Call me biased, I don’t care. Burrow gets another A+ for what he did against the Chiefs.