Joe Burrow was the Difference in Bengals’ Win Over Chiefs

The Bengals only had 2 pass plays of more than 20 yards against the Chiefs in Week 13. Yet they were able to move the ball through the air at will on their way to a 27-24 victory. The offensive attack was constant and managed to stay on the field to create more scoring opportunities by converting 7 of 11 third-down attempts. The main reason for this success wasn’t necessarily anything the Bengals offense or Chiefs defense were doing schematically. Instead, it was Joe Burrow and his ability to fire precision passes into tight windows that made the difference in this one.

One of the most impressive aspects of Burrow’s game is that receivers who wouldn’t be open to other quarterbacks seem to be open to him. Not only does he have the great ball placement to be able to fit throws into tight windows, he has the stones to pull the trigger on these throws, and somehow manages to not put the ball in harm’s way. He creates completions that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

This has to be frustrating for opposing defenses as it makes taking away the passing game or staple route concepts with a certain coverage or mix of coverages very difficult. It’s all about leverage, Burrow’s ability to isolate the 1-on-1’s whether in man or zone, and his ability to make the right throw to beat the coverage. The Chiefs found this out over and over again in Week 13, as you’ll see below.

On Cincinnati’s second drive of the game, they faced a 3rd-and-2. After motioning to an empty formation, Burrow’s first read was a “Stick” concept to his left: