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CINCINNATI — Bengals coach Zac Taylor did not hesitate when requested whether or not quarterback Joe Burrow ought to be in competition to win the NFL’s Most Invaluable Participant award.
“Completely,” Taylor mentioned.
Burrow added to his rising listing of credentials in a press release 27-24 win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Sunday. Burrow turned the primary quarterback to beat Ok.C. quarterback Patrick Mahomes in three straight video games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady is the one different quarterback to have that many victories versus Mahomes, the 2018 MVP.
Bengals vast receiver Ja’Marr Chase firmly agreed together with his coach about Burrow’s MVP candidacy.
“He is top-of-the-line quarterbacks on this league,” Chase mentioned. “Everyone is aware of that. He ought to be within the MVP race. If he isn’t in it, he ought to be. Primary quarterback within the race.”
Burrow was 25-of-31 passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.
Cincinnati (8-4) entered the fourth quarter trailing Kansas Metropolis (9-3) by a landing earlier than issues turned within the Bengals’ favor. After linebacker Germaine Pratt stripped the ball out of Kansas Metropolis tight finish Travis Kelce’s grip and recovered the fumble, Burrow and the offense went to work.
With the Bengals trailing 24-20 at that time, Cincinnati went on a 10-play drive capped by an 8-yard landing cross from Burrow to operating again Chris Evans. That was Burrow’s ninth passing rating within the fourth quarter, probably the most by any quarterback within the NFL this season, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Data analysis.
Taylor was fast to reward Burrow’s cross safety on Sunday. Burrow was not pressured on 27 of his cross makes an attempt, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, and was sacked simply as soon as.
However the third-year participant proved slippery all through the day. He had a career-high 11 carries for 46 yards and one dashing landing. He now has 5 dashing touchdowns, matching Jack Thompson’s 1979 document for probably the most by a Bengals quarterback in a single season.
“He has nice measurement and elusiveness,” Kansas Metropolis defensive finish Frank Clark mentioned. “Individuals do not actually put a whole lot of respect on his title relating to how elusive he’s within the pocket and his pocket presence.”
Taylor, the workforce’s playcaller, put the ball in Burrow’s fingers to seal the sport and finish Kansas Metropolis’s streak of 14 consecutive victories within the month of December, a stretch that dates again to Mahomes’ first 12 months as a starter in 2018.
On third-and-11, Bengals vast receiver Tee Higgins mentioned he and Tyler Boyd thought Cincinnati was going to run the ball to chew up some clock. Higgins mentioned the receivers checked out Burrow within the huddle and requested him a easy query: run or cross?
“He mentioned, ‘Move,'” Higgins mentioned. “All of us checked out one another. He mentioned, ‘Let’s get it completed.'”
Burrow and the Bengals did simply that. He discovered Higgins for a 14-yard completion that successfully ended the sport.
Each of Cincinnati’s victories in opposition to Kansas Metropolis final season got here on profitable subject objectives as time expired. In opposition to the AFC’s prime workforce to this point in 2022, the profitable margin was greater.
Burrow shrugged off the MVP dialogue from Taylor and his teammates.
“I do not play the sport for these sorts of accolades,” Burrow mentioned. “I play the sport for these guys within the locker room. What it takes from me each Sunday, that is what I am going to do. If I’ve handy the ball off 72 occasions and are available out with a win, I will be completely satisfied.”
Getting into Sunday, Burrow ranked third within the NFL in fourth-quarter QBR, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Data.
When Cincinnati wanted massive performs in opposition to one of many NFL’s finest groups and quarterbacks, Burrow delivered.
“He is taking part in on the degree we’d like for him to steer us, to be assured that we will win each recreation we play,” Taylor mentioned, including that there is no doubt about Burrow’s standing within the MVP dialog. “I’ve mentioned it earlier than. I would not commerce him for anyone on the earth.”
ESPN’s Adam Teicher contributed to this report.
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