Bengals fans won't like PFF's most recent quarterback rankings
When it comes to the best quarterback in the NFL, Cincinnati Bengals fans are probably going to answer with one of two names. One could obviously be Joe Burrow, the quarterback they root for, and the other would be Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sam Munson of PFF has Mahomes at the top of his quarterback rankings and then put Burrow in the three-spot behind Josh Allen of the Bills. He notes that while both guys are good enough to be considered the second-best quarterback in the league, what puts Allen over the top is his rushing ability.
"Each player is capable of elite play and outstanding levels, but the tiebreaker is Allen's rushing ability. It may not be a deal-breaker in every game, but there will be gotta-have-it situations where Allen is virtually unstoppable because of how many different ways he can beat a defense. Burrow can’t bring that to the table."
- Sam Munson
While Allen is a talented quarterback and is a better runner than Burrow, let's not pretend that Burrow can't evade passes and make magic happen with his legs. Just ask the Chiefs in the 2021 season if Burrow can run.
Hell, Burrow was so good at scrambling in that game that Chris Jones made it an off-season goal to not let it happen again when the two teams met up in 2022.
Joe Burrow ranked third in PFF QB rankings
Let's compare the 2022 numbers for Allen and Burrow, shall we?
- Josh Allen: 4,283 yards, 35 touchdowns, 14 interceptions; 762 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns
- Joe Burrow: 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions; 257 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
As a passer, Burrow put up better numbers everywhere except touchdowns, which the two tied with the same amount of scores. Running-wise, yes, Allen is superior but that doesn't mean he's the better quarterback.
It was also obvious down the stretch last season that Allen having to run as much as he did wore him down. The Bengals made Allen look not-so-great in the meeting during the playoffs, holding him to 264 yards through the air with zero touchdowns and one interception. He had a rushing touchdown but otherwise only dashed for 26 yards
At the end of the day, this is just one person's rankings. Burrow has proven that he could easily be considered the second-best quarterback in the league but not everyone is convinced yet. That's just extra motivation.