Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow doesn't fear pressure. In fact, he welcomes it and has done so all season. But he's fearless in the pocket, perhaps sometimes to a fault, when the defense is bearing down on him.
Burrow has time and again stood tall to deliver the ball accurately for an extra split second. It's gotten him on the business end of a lot of physical punishment, culminating in myriad injuries. However, his latest turf toe setback forced him to be an more proficient pocket operator in 2025, and that should soon pay massive dividends.
In looking at a brand-new stat from last season, Burrow was absolutely elite at balancing risk and reward as a passer. It's hardcore proof that he has indeed progressed as a pure dropback QB, whih should terrify the rest of the NFL.
Burrow in a class of his own as PFF presents new big time throw/ turnover-worthy play ratio
The gist of PFF's big-time throw to turnover-worthy play ratio stat is to highlight how well quarterbacks balance attacking downfield with not putting the ball in harm's way. Nobody did it better than Joe Burrow last season — and mind you, that was with the difficulties he faced due to a turf toe injury.
Burrow had nine big-time throws for every turnover-worthy play he had. What's more, he committed a grand total of two turnover-worthy plays in eight games, yet he still got tagged with five interceptions.
This is where it's key to distinguish when a QB is at fault for negative outcomes, and when it's totally out of his hands. It's the beauty of stats like these. Look, a lot of us Bengals fans make enough excuses for Burrow and have for years. Deservedly so. His offensive line has often been horrible, as has the defense over the last few seasons of zero playoff appearances.
Here's the top performers form last season in the PFF hierarchy for this BTT/TWP ratio stat:
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals — 9.00
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams — 2.23
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles — 2.08
- Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers — 2.00
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills — 1.81
The disparity between Burrow and the rest of the field is B-A-N-A-N-A-S bananas. I wonder if anyone on our panel here at FanSided wants to give Burrow a better spot in our QB rankings. It's not too late for them! OK yes it is for now.
I wrote back in late May about the dreadful luck Burrow had in the turnover-worthy play department. Didn't think to compare it to his big-time throw rate.
If there's any smoking gun to suggest that Burrow is about to go nuclear on the rest of the league in 2026, this is it. He was stricken with cruel misfortune, a surgically repaired toe, and an atrocious defense this past year. He still posted a 5-3 record and a 100.7 passer rating.
Look out, world. Joey B is coming for that MVP and Lombardi. He has a better defense, the best o-line of his career, and he's fully healthy again.
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