Joe Burrow’s Thanksgiving Adventure with Maryland Crabs
It seems Joe Burrow might not be a fan of “Wedding Crashers.” After leading the Bengals to a significant 32-14 victory over the Ravens last Thursday, the Cincinnati quarterback was caught off guard by the traditional Maryland crabs featured in the post-game festivities.
As Burrow and his teammates celebrated on the field at M&T Bank Stadium, he approached a crab with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty, even taking a whiff of it. “What is this?” Burrow asked NBC’s Melissa Stark while holding the crab in his hand.
Stark, clearly amused, responded, “That’s a Maryland crab. Joe is asking me what that crab is. I’m from Maryland…” Burrow, who spent his high school years in Ohio, wondered aloud if he could actually try a bite.
“No, it’s a hard shell, you need to be careful biting it,” Stark said, delivering one of the more entertaining responses of the night. “But we do have Cincinnati chili here.” Burrow, however, shook his head in disbelief, resembling a child at a holiday dinner who isn’t quite ready to accept peculiar foods.
This lighthearted exchange marked a fun end to a day filled with Thanksgiving football, which highlighted Burrow’s return after missing nine games following surgery for turf toe. The Bengals’ win also provided a setback to the Ravens, who are fighting for a playoff spot.
On a performance note, Burrow completed 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He acknowledged some initial “rust” but felt he improved significantly in the second half, noting, “I think I placed the ball better in those final 30 minutes.” Cincinnati led 12-7 at halftime, thanks to four field goals, before Burrow threw two touchdowns to secure the win.
Reflecting on his journey back to the field, Burrow remarked, “The last six years haven’t been easy for me for various reasons. I’ve put in a lot of effort to return, and many of my teammates have too.” Cincinnati is now at 4-8, and with a renewed sense of teamwork, he expressed pride in what they’ve accomplished together.
While Burrow only scrambled three times for 8 yards, he noted he moved better than anticipated, highlighting the team’s effective systems in keeping players fresh during the game.
