Get ready for the Joe Burrow/Dan Marino Super Bowl narrative
What Joe Burrow accomplished in just his second year in the NFL is remarkable. After he had to miss the final six games of his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals due to an injury that forced him to have surgery, Burrow came back stronger in year two of his NFL career.
Not only did he set the single-season record for passing yards for the Bengals with 4,611 while also tossing for 34 touchdowns and running for 118 yards and two more scores, but he led the team all the way to the Super Bowl.
Yes, Burrow and his Bengals were on the wrong side of the scoresheet but when push comes to shove, it’s impossible to look at what he did this season and not be impressed.
For his efforts, Burrow was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year award despite Dak Prescott being the favorite for the title all year. Burrow should also be a frontrunner to win NFL MVP in the 2022 season due to what he accomplished this year.
With all of this said, however, Burrow making it to the Super Bowl in just his second year and losing means he’s going to be compared to Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino until he wins it all.
Joe Burrow will be compared to Dan Marino ad nauseam
I see a lot of people saying Joe Burrow will definitely be back in the Super Bowl. So much of that is on the @Bengals to do right by him. It takes organizational commitment. Remember, Dan Marino went to the SB in his second year and never went back.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) February 14, 2022
Marino, a first-round pick in the historic 1983 NFL Draft, led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl in his second season in the league. Marino threw for over 5,000 yards and 48 touchdowns during the regular season and he and the ‘Fins finished 14-2.
In the Super Bowl, the 49ers shut Marino and the high-flying Dolphins down, limiting them to just 16 points. Marino threw for over 300 yards but tossed for just one touchdown and two picks. Not exactly a stellar performance.
Everyone assumed Marino would be back to the Super Bowl but he never went back. He played until the end of the 1999 season and never got back to the big game.
This is what people are already saying about Joe Burrow.
The narrative is too easy. Both quarterbacks were first-round picks, both had great regular seasons in their sophomore seasons and then led their teams to Super Bowl appearances in year two only to come up short.
We know what happened with Marino after that. He never got back. He’s still a Hall of Fame quarterback but what always is associated with Marino is that he never won a Super Bowl despite making it in his second year.
There’s still a long journey ahead for Joe Burrow. He’s 25 years old, fresh off an AFC Championship title, and showed he can be the guy who gets the Bengals to the promised land. He came up short this time around but he has time to change the narrative and show that the main thing he has in common with Marino is that he’s a former first-round quarterback who can ball out.
"Cincinnati Bengals: All-time passing leaders in franchise history"
Prove ’em wrong, Joe.