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Joe Burrow is typically reserved when discussing his own performances, but after Sunday's dismantling of the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback made no effort to hide his satisfaction. In a 35-13 rout, Burrow turned a quiet first half into a second-half masterpiece, and he was quick to acknowledge it.
Burrow finished the day with 292 passing yards on 22-of-30 completions and four touchdowns—his second consecutive game with four scoring strikes. The bulk of that production came after the break, when he repeatedly picked apart the Ravens' defense.
"I think I played really well," Burrow said. "The first half was what it was, and obviously would have liked to have some of those back, but we didn't turn the ball over. That played a big part, and the second half I think I was pretty lights out. Yeah, I'll watch the tape and ask me again on Wednesday, but I think for the most part I was pretty good."
According to Sumer Sports, Burrow's second-half stat line was staggering: 16-of-18 for 249 yards and four touchdowns. His 21.24 Total EPA in the final two quarters ranks as the fourth-best second-half performance among 2,204 qualifying passers since 2022. When Cincinnati's back was against the wall, Burrow answered emphatically, slicing up the home defense.
The Bengals needed the win to maintain a majority playoff projection and avoid sinking to the bottom of the AFC North. With Lamar Jackson absent, the stage was set for a vintage Burrow performance, and he delivered. His Week 7 outing earned a 92.6 ESPN QBR, the second-best mark of the week so far, and propelled him to third among all quarterbacks in season-long QBR (77.6).
If Burrow sustains this level of play and the Bengals win 12 or 13 games, keeping the MVP trophy from his grasp will be difficult. "We know who we have to be, and we let our big-time players go and make big-time plays," Burrow said. "That's what the NFL is all about. You know you can do all these different things, but at the end of the day, you just gotta go make plays, gotta execute what's called, and that's what we did."
Key Analysis
Burrow's willingness to publicly grade his own performance is a departure from his usual modesty, but it reflects the growing confidence of a quarterback hitting his stride. The Bengals' playoff hopes hinge on his continued excellence, and with the Titans next on the schedule, Cincinnati appears poised to ride its MVP candidate deep into the season.