Matthew Stafford has seen enough to make his pick.
The reigning NFL MVP says Joe Burrow should be sitting at the top of the race right now, and he didn’t hesitate when asked who he believes has been the league’s best quarterback through the first half of the season. On this week’s episode of SiriusXM’s "Let’s Go" podcast, Stafford told Jim Gray that the Bengals star gets his vote.
“There are a lot of quarterbacks and a lot of people playing at a high level,” Stafford said. “I think Joe Burrow, what he’s done the last three, four, five weeks, whatever it is, I mean, he’s been on fire.
“That offense has been clicking, throwing a bunch of touchdowns, keeping his team alive, playing well. Defense is playing good too, but I would say Joe Burrow, for what he’s done this season, they’ve stayed healthy and he’s rocking and rolling at a really good clip.
“So I’d give it to him halfway through, as we know [there’s] a lot of football to be played, but he’s been special the first half,” Stafford said.
Burrow has certainly built the kind of résumé that gets attention. Cincinnati has won four straight and sits at 6-2, with the offense topping 31 points in every one of those victories.
His latest showcase came in Madrid, where he went 24 of 29 for 271 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in the Bengals’ 34-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He also added a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
Over that four-game run, Burrow has piled up 1,215 passing yards and 16 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. All three came against Tennessee, a game in which he still threw five touchdown passes and ran for the winning score in overtime.
Zac Taylor has already been singing Burrow’s praises, too. Last month, the Bengals head coach called him the most accurate passer in the world, then admitted he can’t quite explain how Burrow keeps putting the ball exactly where he wants it.
“I don’t know,” Taylor jokingly answered when asked about Burrow’s accuracy. “Watching how he works in practice between reps.
Watching how he works in pre-practice, watching how he throws in pregame, watching his body movements... It’s really impressive.”
Cincinnati’s surge has the Bengals tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the AFC North at 6-2. They’ll host the Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 10, with a shot to grab control of the division lead.
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Bengals Fans Have Real Reason To Dread Sundays Referee Crew
Sundays matchup with Pittsburgh comes with a familiar name in the referee assignment, and for Bengals fans, that alone is enough to raise an eyebrow. Clete Blakeman will work the Week 10 game, bringing a long track record with Cincinnati into a divisional meeting that already figures to be tense, physical and heavily scrutinized.
The Bengals have gone 8-9 in games Blakeman has headed since 2010, and the recent history has not been kind. His crew has also been among the leagues most active when it comes to throwing flags this season, and with a postseason rsum that includes plenty of high-stakes work, this is the kind of officiating setup that tends to keep everyone on edge well before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Lewis Just Called Out What Bengals Must Fix Fast
With a critical AFC North game against the Steelers looming, Marvin Lewis took a familiar seat in the Bengals conversation and offered a blunt checklist for Zac Taylors team. The former Cincinnati coach laid out three areas he believes have to sharpen up if the Bengals want to make a real championship push, and the message was less about talent than about how well the pieces are being used.
Lewis pointed to the ground game, the defense and the need to fully lean into Joe Burrows leadership as the key areas that cant stay inconsistent. For a team trying to seize first place in the division, the timing of that advice matters, because the margin for error gets thinner fast when the opponent is Pittsburgh and the stakes are already this high. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Sent A Risky Message In The AFC North Race
With the NFL trade deadline passing on Nov. 10, Cincinnati stood pat while several AFC contenders tried to sharpen their rosters for the stretch run. The Bengals did not make a move, leaving both the offense and defense intact despite sitting at 6-2 and firmly in the AFC North hunt. In a market where rivals were willing to add help, Cincinnati chose continuity over change.
The decision also left a few obvious roster questions hanging in place, including a running back group that has struggled to generate consistent production. The Bengals had been linked to Philadelphia defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, but nothing materialized before the deadline closed, and the front office ultimately decided against any additions. For a team trying to hold its edge in a crowded division race, the message was clear enough, even if the long-term wisdom of it will take a few more weeks to sort out. [Read more 🡒]