Joe Burrow made a triumphant return to the field on Sunday, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a convincing 32-14 victory against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Last season Burrow missed more than two months due to a turf toe injury that required surgery. In his comeback, he showed great poise and talent, throwing for 261 yards on two touchdown passes and no picks.
Burrow’s effort was impressive — he was precise and quick, rushing for 93 yards on 15 carries, while completing 24 of his 46 passing attempts. Notably, he stepped up in the pocket to layer a perfectly placed ball to wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, who caught it in stride for a touchdown. He would show his magic by extending plays. Each of those completions, six of them in fact, were for 55 yards and a touchdown. All under the baseline that he completed each one while running at least eight miles per hour.
His connection to his receivers could be seen when they celebrated together after a strong touchdown run. He continued to find Ja’Marr Chase in crucial situations, keeping the offense’s rhythm cooking all game long. That’s where Burrow put on full display his insane improvisational skills, as he made eight passes while scrambling. Per Next Gen Stats, he further accounted for six completions beyond the line of scrimmage.
Even while managing with a plate in his left shoe, Burrow said he felt good about his mobility in the game. To his surprise, he found himself “a little more mobile than I would have anticipated.” This victory followed a long recovery period that began in September.
“It hasn’t been easy on me through six years from a lot of different angles, but I’ve worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there,” Burrow said.
His pregame warm-up work, including short sprints and exercises to improve his cutback speed, played a big role in helping him feature that quickness. That said, he admitted to being a little jittery in the first half before finding his groove again as the game wore on.
“The whole first half, my feet were a little antsy back there. In the second half, I felt a lot more comfortable [and] started putting them where I wanted to,” he explained.
In the post-game celebration, Burrow’s excitement was palpable as he bumped helmets with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., reflecting the camaraderie and spirit within the team.
“There’s been a lot of discussions and a lot of time in the training room and just a lot that has gone into this. And I’m proud to be back,” he added.
Acknowledging that some of his throws didn’t always hit their mark, Burrow was nonetheless defiant in reflecting on how his track record speaks for itself.
“Didn’t exactly spin it the way I wanted it, but that’s all right. I put it in a good spot, and he was ready for the look. That one felt good,” he stated.
Burrow’s remarkable return reminded the league that while his individual talent was immense, it was just as much about the effort of those around him.
“And a lot of people around me have done the same,” he noted.
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