It was quite the ride for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL season. They defied all of the odds stacked against them at the start of the season and went on to win both the AFC North and the AFC conference, making it to the Super Bowl for the first time since the late 1980s.
The Bengals made a game of it in the Super Bowl but unfortunately, a few calls went against them late in the game, allowing the Rams to take the lead. The good guys had a chance to try and take the lead with a little over a minute remaining but, as we know, that didn’t happen.
The final play consisted of Burrow trying to target Ja’Marr Chase, who appeared to have Jalen Ramsey beat but instead was forced to throw a short pass to Samaje Perine, which fell incomplete. The Rams went on to kneel out the clock and win the game and the Lombardi Trophy.
Fans have been reliving that play in their heads since the game ended but with the excitement of the new season, it wasn’t as prominent.
Burrow made sure to make everyone remember in his first press conference since the Super Bowl.
On the last offensive snap of the Super Bowl, Bengals QB Joe Burrow said he checked to the go route that WR Ja'Marr Chase ran. Just didn't have enough time to get the ball to him.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) May 17, 2022
Joe Burrow brings up final play from Super Bowl
The problem throughout the playoffs for Cincinnati was their offensive line and it cost them dearly. They were able to overcome the nine sacks in the Divisional Round against the Titans but the seven sacks and constant pressures on Burrow in the Super Bowl were too much for the stripes to overcome.
Fortunately, the front office didn’t just sit on their hands and do nothing. They signed three starters on the offensive line and we saw them in action during the first day of OTAs.
On that final play, Burrow said, “I was anticipating throwing it, I just didn’t quite have the time” which was the case for him pretty much during that entire game.
On the Bengals final play of the Super Bowl, Joe Burrow said he checked to the go route for Ja'Marr Chase. "I was anticipating throwing it, I just didn't quite have the time..." @WLWT #Bengals pic.twitter.com/BE9Tp7Q0Cj
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) May 17, 2022
Hopefully that won’t be a problem with him this year, as the front office did what they could to give him strong protection upfront. With a mediocre offensive line, the Bengals would have won the Super Bowl this past season and it’s hard to convince me otherwise on that matter.
Burrow bringing up the final play of the Super Bowl loss might be painful now but hopefully, we can look back on it in the future and look at it as the motivating factor in this team getting back to the big game and winning it all.