Joe Burrow leads the NFL with 20 touchdown passes, and he’s only played seven games. Kirk Cousins of the Raiders is second with 19, and he’s played eight.
The hot streak is the scary part. Burrow has thrown 13 touchdowns in his last three games, all Cincinnati wins:
- 4 touchdowns in a 31-24 win at Miami
- 4 touchdowns in a 35-13 win at Baltimore
- 5 touchdowns and 462 yards in Sunday’s 43-36 overtime win over the Titans
For the season, per ESPN, he’s 195-of-267 (73.0%) for 2,115 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, with a 111.6 passer rating. The Bengals are 5-2.
It wasn’t perfect Sunday. Three of those six picks came against Tennessee, and the Titans hung 36 points on Cincinnati and pushed it to overtime. As somebody who lives in Titans country, I’ll take the fight. As somebody who took the Bengals -10, I’ll take the loss. Burrow threw for 462 and I still didn’t cover. Somebody check on me.
Here’s my take: when Burrow is healthy, he’s the best pure passer in the league, and this is what healthy looks like. Twenty touchdowns in seven games is nearly three a game. If he keeps anything close to that pace, he’s in the MVP conversation by Thanksgiving, and the Bengals are a problem for everybody in the AFC.
Is Burrow the MVP right now, Faders? Tell me on X or Instagram at @fiveandafade.
Every pick is free. Get them by email: subscribe here.
Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.
