THE NFL JUST MET JOE BURROW

            "Poise" is the word we keep hearing people utter when discussing Joe Burrow's 37/61 316 yard 3 TD, record-setting rookie performance last night, yet I feel the proper words would be "methodical escapism".

              Burrow hung in there while Myles Garrett and co continuously launched into him, completing exacting throws through tight windows, all as the "rookie" may have wondered if he'd live to play another down.

              There were moments that scared everyone watching, two Browns D-linemen rolling towards Burrow's legs as he stepped into a throw...nearly a disastrous, terrifying moment for Joe and the Bengals' luckless franchise; In defiant response to these unrelenting threats, we witnessed exactly why Joe is already well on his way in becoming a great NFL quarterback.

               Much like Seattle Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson, Burrow understands space and how to exploit wide open areas using his legs or his accurate passing arm...also, he knows how to adjust his body in order to keep the play (and himself) alive;

               Due to Cincy's offensive line on Thursday, Joe relied on his feet routinely...somehow making one unbelievable play after another, geauxing off as a solo artist (2020 Burrow = Bengals' A.I??).

               Whether grabbing crucial chunks of yards on the scramble or standing amidst a constantly collapsing pocket as an unbreakable monolith, Joe kept the Bengals in the game through his pure football genius.

               Joe threw a brilliant ball to Bengals WR Tyler Boyd, only to see Thursday's leading receiver drop a touchdown at a critical spot;

The quarterback's outside shoulder passes to A.J Green (whether Green caught them or not) were legitimate advertisements of his clinical prowess and underrated arm.

Excelling in all arts of footballing war, #9 remained a thorough wizard:

When his offense were stuck on the 1 yard line to open a drive, Joe drew the Browns' D-line offside, helping keep Cincy going (the drive would end in Burrow getting sacked by Myles Garrett...more on that later).

                Yes, Burrow threw some poor passes, getting bailed out by a disgusting one handed catch by TE Drew Sample (for one example), however the #1 overall pick demonstrated the same attributes which made him a champion in the first place:

             #9 completed 4+ passes to 6 different WRs on Thursday (only 3 receptions from A.J Green), no interceptions, he was dynamite on 3rd down (completing a breathtaking 4th down throw) and all 3 TDs were thrown at moments to give his team a chance for victory...yes even the final TD supplied an onside kick opportunity with 30 odd seconds left down 5 points.

            "I will never accept losing, no matter what that's just not my mentality...so going 0-2 hurts right now, but we just gotta get this right," a dispirited though determined Burrow said to NFL Network after the game, looking a little groggy from the overwhelming volume of hits absorbed throughout the game. 

             Cincy's offensive line only allowed 3 sacks tonight through the grace of Joe Burrow's uncanny vision and escapist adventures...yet the stats barely indicate the amount of attrition the Bengals franchise QB faced:

            The Heisman winner was forced to vacate the pocket on 31 occasions, suffered 7 official QB hits (knocked down far more than that) and the brutal sack fumble by Myles Garrett was a jaw-rattling hit, Myles left completely isolated to drill Joe and violently slam the National Champion into the ground as hard as possible...no let off...Burrow felt every ounce of Garrett.

                Still, he rose to his feet, battle-weary but continuing to sling the ball around, battling each down. His neck was nearly broken by a ridiculous face mask, his head was sandwiched in between two falling Browns' defenders....though Cleveland are a patty cake team overall, this was a gauntlet for Burrow to pass through as a starting QB for the Bengals... just like we'd imagined: a tough shootout loss, outrageous individual numbers, painful bruising and next day soreness...and yet he's still standing, ready for more...

DEDICATED TO: REMY HIDELGO...

SEND ALL YOUR LOVE TO THIS YOUNG MAN FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE.

By Lonn Phillips Sullivan

@LonnPhillips

Copyright 2020 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC

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