Joe Burrow: Everything THEY Wanted
The first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft Joe Burrow will be under immense pressure this upcoming season as the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow is used to being in high pressure situations. During his senior year at Louisiana State University (LSU) he led the Tigers to a perfect 15-0 record. He also capped off that perfect season with a national title win over Clemson earlier this year. To also add to an already impressive resume, Burrow is also the most recent recipient of the Heisman trophy, an annual award given to the best player in Division 1 NCAA football. Burrow has proven time after time again he is an elite talent that can make a difference single handedly. Burrow will be facing his most daunting task of all: resurrecting the Bengals. Being so well known for his collegiate work, the former LSU quarterback has been a mainstay for sports media outlets for over a year now. Burrow is used to all eyes being on him, but not used to people debating if he can single handedly turn around a football team that has been mediocre, at best, for the past five years. The last time the Bengals made the playoffs was back in 2015, which was then led by quarterback Andy Dalton who threw for over 3,000 yards and threw 25 touchdowns that season. They lost in the wild-card round that year to the Pittsburgh Steelers (who they beat 16-0 in their season opener). The final score of that game was 18-16, and with that loss Cincinnati became the first team in NFL history to lose five consecutive first round playoff games. In 2018 they fired long-time head coach Marvin Lewis, who coached the team since 2003, and hired former NFL quarterback Zac Taylor in 2019 to take over as head coach. Last year, the Bengals finished with the worst record in the NFL at 2-14, which resulted in them receiving the first pick in the NFL Draft. There was no question about who they would be taking with that pick due to Burrow’s immense talent. The heisman winner will be at the helm of an offense which includes a young offensive line and 32-year-old veteran receiver A.J. Green, who is a fan favorite in Cincinnati. Not to mention, the Bengals also have 25-year-old wide receiver Tyler Boyd who had over 1000 receiving yards last season, and 24-year-old running back Joe Mixon who rushed for over 1000 yards last season. The Bengals are set up for success this season. A young o-line, a veteran receiver, and two young talented players in Boyd and Mixon is the perfect mix for Burrow to prove what he is capable of in the pros. Burrow is what the Bengals lacked to become a playoff contender once again, and possibly, a championship contender down the road. The Bengals face off against the Los Angeles Chargers at home on Sept. 14 in their season opener.
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