Winning seems to be a natural occurrence for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Two years ago, he won the Heisman Trophy and led Louisiana State University to a national championship.
His injury during his rookie season derailed his ascension as one of the league’s best young quarterbacks.
Joe Burrow's Bengals make it to the Super Bowl in his second season 💨 pic.twitter.com/NlVQ9lmXqB
— ESPN (@espn) January 30, 2022
This season, he is just one win away from bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Cincinnati for the first time.
Completing the mission will be doubly sweet for the man who grew up in rural Ohio.
But regardless of the outcome in Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals are in a prime position to dominate the league for years to come.
Not Your Average Joe
It’s rare to see a young athlete change a team’s culture.
Therefore, what Burrow achieved in two seasons makes him unique.
His relentless drive to compete for every yard trickles down to every player on the Bengals’ roster.
He has complete command of the team, and they look up to him for motivation.
Joe Shiesty is truly 1of1 @joeyb 🥶 pic.twitter.com/7D3XT6ZO0N
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 31, 2022
Seeing him take off to get first downs must have ignited the Bengals to keep on fighting against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
His best play was evading the sack by All-Pro Chris Jones and running for a first down.
Burrow willed the Bengals to victory, calling the right plays most of the time, especially in the second half.
The scary part is that he will only get better from this point.
He will improve in reading defenses and adjusting the play call if needed.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals match the biggest turnaround to Super Bowl appearance in NFL history
Bengals had same record as Eagles last year: 4-11-1
pic.twitter.com/RR4lJAFi0u— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 31, 2022
He will remain calm even if the other team gets a head start.
His confidence gives him the mindset that they can win even if the odds say otherwise.
Those traits are infectious and can turn the Bengals into a team that can mess up the yearly plans of the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.
Young But Talented
Burrow isn’t alone in turning the Bengals from laughingstock to serious contenders.
The experience they gained this year will only help them dominate the league for years to come.
More importantly, they have a young core that can sustain a lengthy championship window.
Burrow is 25 years old, while rookie All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and kicker Evan McPherson are 21 years old.
Burrow To Chase 🥶🥶🥶
📺CBS pic.twitter.com/fGTrKOhsHH
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) January 30, 2022
Big target Tee Higgins is 23, while Tyler Boyd and C.J. Uzomah are 27 and 29, respectively.
Running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine are 25 and 26 years old, respectively.
Even their key players on defense have much left in their tank.
Free-agent signing Trey Hendrickson is 27 years old, while Sam Hubbard is 26.
Trey Hendrickson was a nice addition, ehh? 😏
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 30, 2022
Jessie Bates is 24, Mike Hilton is 27, and Eli Apple is 26.
Keeping all these players can help the Bengals win multiple Super Bowls.
Salary cap restrictions may hinder them from doing so, but having Burrow for long will keep Cincinnati in the hunt every season.
Lowballing him when he’s due for an extension would be the worst mistake the franchise could make.
JOEY. FRANCHISE. pic.twitter.com/X50nsrA3RH
— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2022
But once they lock him up for the long term, maybe the AFC won’t go through Kansas City or Buffalo for the next decade.
Instead, all teams must decipher Burrow to reach the Super Bowl.
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