Joe Burrow's Championship Traits Showed Up Again in Buffalo

The mantra in the NFL has always been that good running games and defenses travel. They can play in any conditions against any opponent.

The same should be said about certain quarterback traits - namely, great ball placement, anticipation, and pocket mobility. They help defeat tight coverage, neutralize a good pass rush, and overcome just about any deficiencies an offense might have.

Last Sunday in Buffalo, we saw once again that Joe Burrow has each of these traits, and that’s the main reason why Cincinnati is back in another AFC Championship Game.

The timing and anticipation that Burrow plays with is what always stands out most on film, and it’s rooted in his ability to recognize and process coverage quickly.

Take this 3rd-and-10 in the first quarter, for instance. The Bills were showing a cover-1 blitz:

But they would end up rushing four and spinning out into a 2-high look at the snap:

The disguise didn’t matter. Burrow processed it quickly and found the hole in the coverage for the first down:

Not only did Burrow find it, he delivered this ball at the top of his drop with great anticipation. Look where his receiver was in his route right after Burrow had made his decision and just started his throwing motion:

There’s no defense for the perfectly timed and perfectly thrown ball.

Burrow had several other passes like this throughout the afternoon: