The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time this season on Sunday.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin seems to be specifically focused on his team competing against Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who in Tomlin's mind is having an "MVP-caliber" season even if the team is only 4–7.
Tomlin paid Burrow this high compliment when discussing this weekend's matchup.
“Obviously, you can’t talk about these guys without talking Joe Burrow,” Tomlin said. “If you look at the tape, man, he’s MVP caliber in terms of what he’s doing for them. I started first with the two Baltimore games because of the intimacy of divisional play. Man, I don’t know how many touchdowns he threw in those two football games. ...
“He just knows where all his people are. When you’re playing quarterbacks like that, man, you’d better carry enough defense. You might be able to trick them or stay ahead of them for 20 or 30 minutes, but you’d better have enough defense. It’s a 60-minute game. I think that’s reflected in watching them.”
Even though the Bengals have struggled to secure more wins this season, it doesn't mean Burrow himself is having issues. The quarterback has completed 67.2% of his passes for 3,028 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions through 11 games. He ranks third in the league in passing yards and he's tied for first with touchdown passes thrown.
Burrow's impressive stats are likely hidden by the Bengals' disappointing record during a highly competitive AFC North year. The Steelers enter Sunday's game on top the division with an 8–3 record, while the Baltimore Ravens follow close behind with an 8–4 record. The Cleveland Browns sit on the bottom of the division with a 3–8 record, but they're coming off an upset over the Steelers last week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Tomlin Makes Bold Statement About Joe Burrow’s Season Before Steelers-Bengals.
