The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 2-2 after a win on Thursday Night Football. Joe Burrow played decently in his fourth game of the season and his efforts helped lead the team to victory.
I'll be honest though -- The Bengals defense deserves most of the props for this win. They held the Dolphins explosive offense (and I know they were without Tua Tagovailoa for most of the game due to his unfortunate injury) to 15 points and rose to the occasion when called upon.
Burrow settled in during the fourth quarter, as per usual, but he looked lost for parts of the game. Perhaps that was some bad play calls on Zac Taylor's end or perhaps Burrow was just having an off night. Whatever the reason was, Burrow rebounded and put up some nice numbers, finishing the night with 287 yards passing and two touchdowns while only getting sacked once.
What grade does Joe Burrow deserve for Week 4 performance?
As mentioned briefly above, Burrow wasn't clutch all night long. He was really struggling in the first half but fortunately, the defense did their part and kept the stripes in the game. Paul Dehner noted in the tweet below that Burrow struggled with inaccuracy during the first half, which fans aren't used to witnessing from the former No. 1 overall pick.
Odd series for Burrow. Weirdly inaccurate on the second-down intermediate throw. Rarely see that from him. Can't do much with an OK pocket on third.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 30, 2022
Some good, some bad, but clunky offense in general ever since the first drive.
Jared Arevian noted during the first half that Burrow was rushing things and as a result, missing throws that he typically could complete in his sleep. He did end up figuring it out but it was certainly a frustrating first half for the signal-caller.
Joe Burrow isn’t playing well right now. Rushing through his progressions, missing simple throws. Needs to figure it out.
— Jared Arevian (@JaredArevian_) September 30, 2022
Burrow finished the game strong though and that's why I'm going to give him a B+ for his performance in this one. The play-calling wasn't great and the first half sloppiness could have led to a worse result for this team but Burrow hung in there, figured things out, and got his team the win.
What grade would you give Joe Burrow for his efforts in Week 4?