Joe Burrow has now played 16 games in the pros and his numbers are fantastic

Joe Burrow’s 16-game numbers are pretty encouraging, to say the least.

An injury 10 games into his rookie season prevented Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow from playing all 16 games.

Burrow stormed back early from the injury and over a 4-2 start this year finally reached that 16-game threshold that used to represent a full season (it’s now 17, but onlookers get the idea).

And the numbers look great.

Through 16 games as a pro, Burrow has completed 67 percent of his 578 attempts with 4,228 yards and 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He’s averaging 7.3 yards per attempt (6.7 as a rookie, 8.9 this year) and has a 95.3 rating.

As if that all weren’t impressive enough, he’s oddly good against pressure, which both shows up while watching the game given the way he escapes pockets, and especially shows up in the numbers:

The way he pops on film is really something to behold too, as this quick two-minute breakdown from NFL Wire’s Mark Schofield showcases:

It’s important to keep in mind Burrow’s journey so far has featured:

  • An unorthodox draft and rookie summer due to the pandemic
  • An unorthodox sophomore summer as he focused on rehab and tweaking his throwing motion
  • The league’s worst offensive line, which enabled him to suffer 48 sacks to date
  • All under a dramatic roster overhaul under a young head coach still figuring out his end of the responsibilities, too

Thanks to Justin Herbert in Los Angeles, Burrow isn’t alone in being an anomaly in terms of performance by a young passer right out of the gates. But given the adversity he’s had to overcome, topped off by a serious injury, his 16-game pace has been incredibly impressive. That he’s playing this well after just 16 games is remarkable given the usual three-year progression that seems typical for potential franchise passers.

Best of all? It’s safe to presume Burrow’s only just getting started on a path that could see him flirt with top-five status.

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