Getty Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Kansas City Chiefs Week 17 opponent has been earning quite a bit of praise prior to their matchup.
We aren’t referencing the Cincinnati Bengals as an entire unit, but rather the leader of their offense: quarterback Joe Burrow.
Aside from NFL pundits saying they would take Burrow over Mahomes if they were to start an NFL franchise, someone within the Chiefs organization is now comparing Burrow to a quarterback that will likely go down as the best to ever play the game.
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Spags on Burrow: I See a Young Tom Brady
Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was asked about Burrow prior to the Chiefs-Bengals game and went as far as to say Burrow looked like a younger version of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
“Really really impressive. This may sound crazy, but I see a young Tom Brady. This guy does everything,” Spagnuolo said during his press conference on Thursday, December 30. “He does not look like a second-year quarterback that missed a lot of his first year, totally impressed with him.
“Began the meeting on Tuesday, we were just finishing up on the last game, but began the meeting talking about Joe [Burrow] because he’s that good. All the weapons we’ve talked about and all that, but you’ve got to have a quarterback that can get it done, and he really does. We’ve got to find out some ways to make him uncomfortable. Easier said than done.”
Burrow and the Bengals are coming off a 41-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens in which Burrow threw for 525 yards — the fourth-most ever in a single game in NFL history — and four touchdowns. Players like wide receiver Tee Higgins, who caught 12 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie first-round pick J’Marr Chase, who caught seven passes for 125 yards, were the main beneficiaries of Burrow’s career day.
Spags spoke about the challenges of stopping Cincinnati’s top two pass-catching threats, along with veteran Tyler Boyd, who had three catches for 85 yards and a touchdown in Week 16.
“I think this is the best threesome trio that we have gone against this year,” he said. “I think our guys respect that, know that. You can turn on any play, any game and they just take turns being the leading receiver for a particular game. Heck of a challenge for our guys. That’s what we’re working on right now and having a conversation about those three wideouts.”
Playoff Implications in Week 17
If the Chiefs want to lock up the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 17, two things need to happen: Kansas City beats Cincinnati 2) The Tennessee Titans lose to the Miami Dolphins. The Titans losing and the Chiefs winning would ensure that no team in the conference would surpass Kansas City’s 12-4 record heading into the regular-season finale, which would lock up a first-round bye in the playoffs.
For the Bengals, who sit at 9-6 and are the No. 3 seed in the AFC heading into their matchup against the Chiefs, they need to win their final two regular-season games if they want to remain in the playoff picture.
With two great football teams having major playoff implications on the line as they match up against each other, Chiefs Kingdom should be anticipating a great game at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, January 2.