More Than Just an Average Joe
Joe Burrow has had a spectacular 2024-25 season, doing his best to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to the playoffs despite a poor start to the year. With the Bengals sitting at 8-8 going into Week 18, their chances of reaching the postseason are tremendously slim. In order to earn the seventh seed in the AFC, the Bengals need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers next week, while the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins both lose their matchups. Ultimately, the odds are stacked against them, and due to their lack of team success, Joe Burrow’s amazing season has been overlooked by many.
Despite trailing Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in MVP odds, Burrow leads quarterbacks in more major categories. Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards, amassing 4,641 yards through 17 weeks, which is over 350 more yards than second-place Baker Mayfield, while Jackson and Allen rank sixth and ninth, respectively. 42 passing touchdowns for Burrow also leads the NFL, with Lamar Jackson at 39 in second place. Josh Allen, however, ranks outside the top five with only 28. When it comes to completion percentage, despite leading the league in passing attempts, Burrow ranks fifth in the NFL at 69.8. Jackson currently sits in 10th place among all qualified starters, while Josh Allen ranks outside the top 20. Burrow is also proving to create more opportunities with a weaker offensive line, as his 44 sacks taken is the fifth most in the NFL. As opposed to Jackson, who has been sacked 23 times, and Allen, who has been taken down 14 times. Quarterback rating ranks these players as the top three in their position, with 1.2 being the difference from first place Jackson to third place Burrow.
While it can certainly be argued that Burrow’s passing stats are a result of the Bengals throwing the ball often, the same can be said about Jackson and Allen's rushing stats. Ultimately, each candidate in the MVP race has certain strengths that make their case. Burrow is clearly the most talented passer, but the Bengals are not a contender, and he runs the ball seldom. Jackson has the best balance between passing and rushing among the three quarterbacks, however, at 11-5, many expected the Ravens to perform much better. When it comes to Allen, he is not as good of a passer as Burrow and is not as talented of a runner as Jackson. With that in mind, he has contributed the most to winning, as the Bills sit at a very impressive 13-3 record. Saquon Barkley is also lurking and shares the same MVP odds with Burrow as he looks to break the record for rushing yards in a single season next week. No matter which way you look at it, each player is deserving in their own right, however, it is worth noting that the Bengals’ struggles have made many overlook the massive season that Joe Burrow is putting together.
