Tag: burrow bengals

Would you rather: Joe Burrow vs Justin Herbert

Both Burrow and Herbert broke out as rookies, securing both franchises long-term options under center with major upside.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert are forever linked.

And for good reason.

Both Burrow and Herbert broke out in a big way as rookies, securing both franchises long-term options under center with massive upside.

But whether a team would choose Burrow or Herbert if given the choice is hard to say, especially after the Bengals quarterback’s rookie season was cut short due to a season ending injury.

Luckily for all, the folks at Good Morning Football recently debated this very subject.

In the debate, Peter Schrager made it clear he loves both QB’s, but that Herbert has it all, whereas Burrow and his knee issues concern him.

The debate can be viewed below:

Both franchises are in good hands and neither can really complain about the quarterback they drafted.

Both Burrow and Herbert have bright futures in this league.

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Bold Predictions for 2021 NFL Season: Burrow leads Bengals to the Playoffs

If the Bengals can outpace the Pittsburgh Steelers, then a wildcard birth is most certainly on the table for Burrow and his squad.

It’s that time of year once again. One of my favorite aspects of the offseason is analyzing team rosters as well as breaking down individual team schedules to better understand what each team could accomplish, or not accomplish, this season.

It’s the time of year when we get to make bold predictions about the upcoming 2021 NFL season.

One of the bold predictions I like is Joe Burrow leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a playoff birth.

How could this happen? It’s actually not that unrealistic.

If the Bengals can outpace the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of their division rivals, then a wildcard birth is most certainly on the table for Burrow and his team.

Burrow took the field for the first time in a long time at Bengals OTA workouts this week. He admitted he didn’t feel 100% just yet, but he definetly looked comfortable out there.

I’m willing to bet that Burrow will hit the ground running with his old LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. That connection alone will add yet another extremely dangerous element to an already underrated bengals offensive unit.  Burrow and Chase shared a special connection back in 2019 that helped LSU win a national championship.

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Before suffering that season-ending injury last November, Burrow was buidling a nice rapport with wide receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Inserting Ja’Marr Chase into the offense will not only help Burrow in a huge way, it’ll help the receivers lining up alongside him.

Joe Mixon is a duel threat running back who fits the mold of what both Burrow like as well as Zac Taylors offensive scheme. The versatility of this offensive unit will be a lot of fun to watch.

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The arrow is pointing up in Cincinnati, and I cannot say the same about the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There are far more questions than answers when looking at both the Steelers roster as well as their schedule.

If Burrow and his Bengals can get off to a hot start in 2021, look out.

Ja’Marr Chase’s fantasy football outlook

After being selected fifth by the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase is one of the most fascinating rookies to analyze from a fantasy perspective.

After being selected fifth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft, Ja’Marr Chase is one of the most fascinating rookies to analyze from a fantasy perspective.

There is little doubt how talented Chase is, and many will argue he could not have been drafted into a better situation than being paired with his former college quarterback and pal, Joe Burrow.

Chase has the talent and the quarterback, but will he put up big numbers Year 1?

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Fantasy football experts will heavily debate this topic leading up to the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Chase will without question start the season as WR1 in Cincinnati and that’s not really a breaking news type statement. Chase was more than great for LSU in the 2019 season, he was an absolute star paired with Burrow: 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. Chase had one elite season for LSU, and it was no fluke. Chase is the real deal.

It’s not talked about often enough, but Chase is the best wide receiver prospect to come out of the draft since Julio Jones. If Chase was eligible to enter last year’s draft, he would have been the top wide receiver selected.

It’s not even close, to be honest.

In the NFL, rookie wide receivers are making a bigger fantasy impact each and every year, but it’s still never a certainty that they’ll offer you immediate production.
Here are the numbers by last year’s first-round wide receivers:
  • No. 12 overall Henry Ruggs III: 26 catches for 452 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games.
  • No. 15 Jerry Jeudy: 52 catches for 852 yards and 3 touchdowns in 16 games.
  • No. 17 CeeDee Lamb: 74 catches for 935 yards and 5 touchdowns in 16 games.
  • No. 21 Jalen Reagor: 31 catches for 396 yards and a 1 touchdown in 11 games.
  • No. 22 Justin Jefferson: 88 catches for 1,400 yards and 7 touchdowns in 16 games.
  • No. 25 Brandon Aiyuk: 60 receptions for 748 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games.

For the Cincinnati Bengals to draft Chase and expect him to produce some of those numbers immediately is a tall ask for the young receiver. Sure, he was the better receiver in 2019 when comparing him to Justin Jefferson, but this isn’t apples to apples here.

College football and the NFL are very, very different.

It is much, much safer to assume his ceiling is within the range of a WR3, which still makes him a valuable target in the middle rounds of fantasy football drafts. Obviously in dynasty leagues, Chase has an elite draft value.

Chase having a future franchise quarterback, Burrow, who he’s already familiar with from their LSU days together, will make his transition into the league much easier, and that will help his fantasy draft outlook.

The Bengals also already have talented options at the receiver position, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. So fantasy football managers should not expect Chase to lead the league in targets either.

One big question on Chase’s outlook as a rookie will be in the red zone. If Burrow and Chase build a strong connection throughout the year, double-digit touchdowns as a rookie is absolutely on the table for Chase.

Joe Burrow’s impressive learning curve

Playing quarterback is all about learning and development. Especially as a rookie. Which is why Bengals fans should be hopeful.

Playing quarterback at any level is a constant process of learning and development. Making mistakes and using the information gained from those in future situations is how QBs get better. Seeing it happen over the course of a few plays is impressive from the most seasoned of veterans.

It’s almost unheard of when it happens with a rookie.

But that was the case on Thursday night with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Within the span of just a few plays against the Cleveland Browns, Burrow first misses an opportunity for a big completion downfield against a particular coverage, then comes right back for his first NFL touchdown pass against that same look:

Sure the Bengals are 0-2. But with a learning curve like this from their rookie quarterback, the wins are sure to follow.

Maurice Jones-Drew’s new mock draft must been seen to be believed

NFL analyst and former running back Maurice Jones-Drew has a bold prediction for who will be the top pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

With the 2020 NFL draft fast approaching, teams are doing their best to assemble their draft boards while dealing with the travel restrictions imposed from the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, several mock drafts seem to have a general consensus about who the top pick will be: Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU. The Cincinnati Bengals, who hold the first overall pick, desperately need a franchise star to help lift them out of the depths of the AFC North. Burrow, an Ohio native, seems like the perfect candidate to take on that role.

But mock drafts can sometimes be as unpredictable as the draft itself, evident by Maurice Jones-Drew’s new mock draft over at NFL.com. The former running back and current NFL analyst predicts that Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert will be the top pick for the Bengals. “An AFC North-style quarterback with a big frame and strong arm to lead the Bengals in bad weather late in the season,” Jones-Drew explained about the Herbert pick.

If that’s not crazy enough, MJD next predicts that the Los Angeles Chargers trade up to the No. 2 spot, swapping picks with the Washington Redskins, to take Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He doesn’t have Burrow coming off the board until the Miami Dolphins take him at the fifth spot.

And, if you’re wondering if MJD has a crazy prediction for the Buccaneers, who hold the 14th pick, you can take comfort in the fact that he, like most, believe the Bucs select an offensive tackle to help protect quarterback Tom Brady. Jones-Drew likes Andrew Thomas out of Georgia going to Tampa Bay.

But, seriously, Burrow dropping to five?

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