Getty A former Ravens Pro-Bowler trolled Joe Burrow after the AFC Championship Game.
Jo Burrow’s probably getting used to people piling on after the Cincinnati Bengals were beaten 23-20 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Former Baltimore Ravens Pro-Bowler Brandon Williams joined the many Chiefs who trolled the Bengals and their star quarterback.
Williams, who played nose tackle for nine seasons with the Ravens before being released last offseason, joined the Chiefs on November 30. He didn’t see much playing time for his new team, but Williams showed he’s still a Ravens homer by trolling his AFC North nemesis with this tweet: “BurrowHead Stadium??????……. Never Heard Of It!!!!!”
BurrowHead Stadium??????……. Never Heard Of It!!!!! #Arrowhead4Life #SuperBowlLVII #REDKINGDOM!!!!!!!
Williams probably remembers how Burrow, who is 4-2 against the Ravens, hasn’t been shy about doing some trolling of his own. The first player taken in the 2020 NFL draft told the Full Send Podcast last offseason: “I love playing the Ravens because they talk. I love that. It (the score) was a lot to a little. I love playing the Ravens. They like to talk. I don’t start the talking but I usually, somebody pokes me, I can talk.”
Burrow stoked the war of words further with his Instagram post after the Bengals beat the Ravens 24-17 in this season’s Wild Card Playoffs, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:
Joe Burrow, Game of Thrones fan, asked about his Instagram photo and caption following the win over the Ravens:
“King of the North, baby.”
Williams clapping back is a well-earned moment for the 33-year-old, who now gets the chance to play in his first Super Bowl, while the Ravens are still struggling to replace him at the heart of their defensive line.
4 Former Ravens Helped Ruin Joe Burrow’s Season
Williams wasn’t the only person with ties to the Ravens who made Sunday, January 29 a night to forget for Burrow. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will start in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles as the blindside protector for Burrow’s counterpart, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Brown was a Raven for three seasons before being traded to KC in 2021, and the 26-year-old joined Williams in reminding Burrow he’d been upstaged by the other QB1 on the field: “One of the greatest. Give ’em his respect. Stamp ’em!”
Meanwhile, Mahomes also got in on the act: “We showed this place that it’s Arrowhead, it’s not Burrowhead out here.”
“We showed this place that it’s Arrowhead, it’s not Burrowhead out here.”
– Patrick Mahomes to @tracywolfson as the Chiefs head to the Super Bowl
The “Burrowhead” taunts referred to the Bengal’s recent mastery over the Chiefs. Burrow had gone 3-1 against Mahomes before Sunday, with last season’s win in the conference title game the most notable victory.
It prompted Bengals’ cornerback Mike Hilton to refer to the Chiefs’ Stadium as “Burrowhead.” Several Chiefs, including All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, took the dig personally and couldn’t resist a response:
Kelce and Mahomes could throw some shade back on the Bengals because of how another former Raven performed. Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spent two seasons on John Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore, and the 63-year-old play-caller kept Burrow guessing with a myriad of zone pressure and designed coverages.
Burrow was sacked five times, with 4.5 of those takedowns logged by members of a line coached by Joe Cullen. He worked in the same capacity for five years with the Ravens.
Cullen, Spagnuolo and Williams have achieved the status Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta have been unable to help the Ravens reach in recent seasons. Replacing Williams with another Pro-Bowl quality nose tackle would help.
Ravens Struggling to Replace Brandon Williams
Williams only made it off the Chiefs’ practice squad in December and played in just five games as a member of the active roster. Yet, the Ravens have missed Williams more than the Chiefs have found him useful.
He was a run-stuffing linchpin able to dominate most centers around the league. The Ravens lacked the same force at the heart of their front seven after veteran Michael Pierce tore his biceps in September and landed on injured reserve.
Rookie Travis Jones was expected to fill the void, but last year’s third-round pick couldn’t make the grade, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: “He played more than 25 snaps only three times all season. He didn’t play poorly, but the Ravens could have used a few splash plays from the rookie.”
Jones did flash brief moments of brilliance, like this sack against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants in Week 6:
Jones on Jones 🔥
First career sack for @bigtrav76 ❗️
Tune in on CBS!
The Ravens need more of this because a disruptor in the middle is crucial in their division. Running backs Joe Mixon, Najee Harris and Nick Chubb all thrive rushing between the tackles, while Burrow and Pittsburgh Steelers’ passer Kenny Pickett stand tall in the pocket, but can be rattled by interior pressure.
Jones becoming the kind of player Williams was in Baltimore will ensure the Ravens have a few more opportunities to troll Burrow.