Welcome to “Player Prowl,” a weekly appreciation post where we highlight a player the Carolina Panthers will be facing. And, also, welcome to the easiest choice we’ve had to make this season.
For our Week 9 selection—in which we hypothetically steal one of the upcoming opponent’s players—we’re going straight to the man Cincinnati Bengals fans affectionately know as “Joe Cool.” That’s right, it’s Joe Burrow.
Joey Franchise has become, well, exactly that for Cincinnati—the franchise. The first overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft, Burrow went from igniting the LSU Tigers into a dominant national champion to nearly doing the same with the Bengals just two years later.
In his first full season, following a shortened 2021 rookie campaign, Joey Brr threw for 4,611 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while recording a league-leading 70.4-percent completion rate. Jackpot Joey would then lead his Bengals right to the doorstep of a Lombardi Trophy, as the AFC champions fell just short to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, 23-20.
Joe Shiesty is, obviously, the no-brainer if we’re trying take one cat’s stripes away. While Cincinnati does have some appealing options in wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, running back Joe Mixon and safety Jessie Bates III—Smokin’ Joe is exactly the type of presence the Panthers need under center.
Did we get it right?
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Previous Player Prowl picks:
- Week 1 (Cleveland Browns): DE Myles Garrett
- Week 2 (New York Giants): DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Week 3 (New Orleans Saints): CB Marshon Lattimore
- Week 4 (Arizona Cardinals): QB Kyler Murray
- Week 5 (San Francisco 49ers): DE Nick Bosa
- Week 6 (Los Angeles Rams): DT Aaron Donald
- Week 7 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): WR Chris Godwin
- Week 8 (Atlanta Falcons): TE Kyle Pitts
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