Joe Burrow had an answer for nearly everything on Sunday—until a reporter in Madrid asked him to address the crowd in Spanish.
“I don’t have anything for you,” the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback said, blushing.
He made his statement on the field instead. Burrow threw three touchdown passes and added a rushing score as Cincinnati beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
He completed all but five of his passes and finished with 271 yards. Those numbers were strong on their own, but they look even better alongside his recent run: Burrow has accounted for 18 touchdowns and thrown for 1,215 yards over the past four games, with a combined passer rating of 132.0.
“I loved putting on a show for the people of Spain and was happy to be here,” Burrow said afterward.
The Madrid game was one of 17 on Cincinnati’s regular-season schedule. If Burrow keeps up anything close to his current pace, the MVP conversation will only grow louder. That’s not a prediction that he’ll maintain it, though. The Bengals still have some tough matchups ahead, including games against the Steelers and Chiefs, as well as a likely meeting with the Panthers.
Cincinnati’s passing game has already made plenty of noise. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins alongside him, Burrow has a deep group of targets, and the long-running connection among the players is hard to miss.
“We’ve just played together for so long now,” Burrow said. “We’re coming up on 10 years playing together. So, you know, when you do that, you develop that connection mentally that nothing needs to be said.”
Burrow’s health remains a major factor. Injuries have disrupted the Bengals’ recent seasons, and the team’s fortunes have often shifted when its quarterback has been sidelined. It’s not a prediction that anything will happen to him; it’s simply difficult to ignore that history.
If Burrow stays healthy, he has a real chance to contend for MVP. Sunday’s performance against Atlanta made that case pretty convincingly.
“We didn’t score on every single possession,” Burrow said. “So there’s plenty to improve on.”
