Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson look to make assertion in AFC North

Over the previous couple of years, video games between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens have featured signature moments for two of the sport’s prime youthful quarterbacks.

In 2019, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson picked up the spotlight of his MVP season with a forty seven-yard touchdown run that featured a spin transfer straight out of a online recreation. Two years later, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow torched a depleted Baltimore protection and set a franchise report with 525 passing yards in a Bengals rout. Burrow’s 941 yards in sweeping Baltimore final season have been most seemingly the most passing yards vs. a single crew in a season in NFL historic previous.

In what’s anticipated to be a very good AFC North this season, Sunday’s recreation between the Ravens and Bengals (eight:20 p.m. ET, NBC), who’re each 2-2, might play a pretty massive position in who wins the division.

And the winner seemingly is extra seemingly to be decided by the quarterback place. Burrow is coming off a very good Bowl run, and Jackson is taking half in above his 2019 MVP stage. With contract selections for every quarterbacks looming, what occurs Sunday and the the rest of the season might variety the method by way of which forward for the AFC North.

“The quarterback’s a important aspect in how our crew goes,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor acknowledged forward of Sunday’s prime-time recreation. “For him to play his most interesting inside the massive moments, as he has, is important.”

Burrow is extra seemingly to be eligible for a contract extension subsequent offseason. Off to a slower start than Jackson up to now, he is sixteenth inside the league in whole QBR (forty nine.4) and seventeenth in completion proportion (sixty 4.1). he is seventh inside the league in passing yards (1,099) and tied for sixth in touchdown passes (eight). He has additionally been sacked sixteen instances, which is third most inside the NFL.

Jackson halted contract negotiations with the Ravens as quickly as the common season started and is taking half in on his fifth-yr different. In essence, he is betting on himself, and the early returns have recommended it was a clever transfer. Jackson is tied for fifth in QBR, tied for first with eleven TD passes and the one QB amongst the numerous prime 25 in dashing, as his 316 yards put him ninth inside the league.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers initially of the Kenny Pickett period and the Cleveland Browns but to see what Deshaun Watson brings to their offense — he is presently serving an eleven-recreation suspension for violating the league’s private conduct coverage following allegations of inappropriate conduct and sexual assault in therapeutic massage intervals, Jackson and Burrow are most seemingly the most established quarterbacks inside the division. How the AFC North in the end shakes out might very properly come all of the method down to how these two play, and that narrative takes variety Sunday night.


BURROW’S FIRST recreation in direction of Baltimore was memorable for all of the unsuitable causes.

As a rookie in 2020, the No. 1 whole draft decide and former Heisman Trophy winner had the hardest recreation of his profession. He posted a profession-low 4.2 whole QBR, which scores video games on a 1 to one hundred scale, in a 27-three shellacking in Week 5.

Six weeks later, Burrow suffered a season-ending knee harm. After an aggressive rehabilitation interval, he turned the state of affairs proper into a footnote, as he rebounded in ’21 as one among many NFL’s most interesting quarterbacks, main the league in completion proportion over expectation, in preserving with NFL subsequent Gen Stats.

The Bengals’ hopes after they drafted Burrow have been quickly realized in February, when the crew made its first super Bowl look since 1989 earlier than shedding 23-20 to the la Rams.

simply a few of the success is extra seemingly to be chalked as a lot as a consequence of the struggles he had as a rookie.

“It was an alternative [for] him to have a season to look again and be taught these fully different sorts that you simply will see and fully different people environments you may be in and play sorts from defenses,” Taylor acknowledged. “to get back again and have an important yr, clearly he is making an try to assemble off of that this yr.”

Bengals working again Joe Mixon acknowledged the conferences in direction of Baltimore have displayed Burrow’s skill to enhance performs and make massive throws. however Burrow’s poise additionally has been on current in essential moments.

“he is gonna be that man,” Mixon acknowledged. “he can have a killer mentality. inside the event you have obtained a look at him or inside the event you see him inside the huddle or see him on the massive display he simply appears to be like like he is about to ship.”

In each video games in direction of Baltimore final yr, Burrow starred. He engineered Cincinnati’s comeback in Week 7, throwing for 416 yards and three touchdowns. Two months later, Burrow threw for 525 yards in a single other victory over the Ravens. His ninety one.4 whole QBR from that recreation stays a profession extreme.

initially of the season, Burrow acknowledged he does not care with reference to the numbers as prolonged as a consequence of the crew wins. by way of 4 video games, the third-yr quarterback’s performances have diversified between a 4-turnover outing in per week 1 loss to Pittsburgh to a fragile exhibiting in final week’s win over the Miami Dolphins.

however there is a mannequin of himself that he enjoys most seemingly the most.

“The one which throws for 530 yards,” Burrow acknowledged.


AS a lot AS Burrow has helped rework Cincinnati, nobody has modified the trajectory of the Ravens over the previous decade elevated than Jackson.

Baltimore was caught in mediocrity after worthwhile the super Bowl in 2012. The Ravens have been forty 4-forty five (.494) from 2013 till Jackson took over as starting quarterback midway by way of the 2018 season.

as quickly as Jackson changed Joe Flacco as a consequence of the starter, Baltimore has been prime-of-the-line teams inside the NFL and had one among its most electrifying offenses. Jackson’s report as a starting quarterback (39-14) ranks behind solely Patrick Mahomes (fifty three-14) amongst lively quarterbacks since 2018.

“he is the one which drives our crew,” Ravens tight finish Mark Andrews acknowledged.

Jackson has been a lot extra of a one-man assault in 2022 than he was all by way of his MVP season.

Jackson has accounted for eighty 4% of the whole yards for the league’s third-highest-scoring offense regardless of accidents on the offensive line and a plodding dashing assault. Baltimore has started three fully different left tackles inside the important 4 weeks, and the Ravens’ working backs have 251 dashing yards, which ranks thirtieth inside the league.

Jackson’s massive performs have carried a crew that has the NFL’s thirtieth-ranked protection. His thirteen whole touchdowns are elevated than 28 fully different offenses this season. Jackson has produced the longest run (seventy nine yards) and the second-longest cross (seventy five) this season.

“he is dynamic,” Jets coach Robert Saleh acknowledged. “he is very deserving of every thing he asks for, inside the event you ask me. however his arm, his legs, his thoughts, his toughness, his tenacity — you have obtained to emphasize about all of it.”

regardless of the exact incontrovertible actuality that Jackson is averaging a profession-extreme eight.fifty 4 yards per carry, he has made important strides throwing the ball, which has modified the id of Baltimore’s offense. The Ravens as quickly as had the league’s most run-heavy assault, however Jackson has dropped again to cross 60% of the time.

Jackson is exhibiting extra endurance, shifting round to buy time rather than scrambling downfield. He has additionally develop to be extra assured throwing into tighter dwelling windows and extra sensible at studying defenses.

“The arduous factor with him is … he obtained elevated,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty acknowledged.


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Stephen A. Smith calls out the Ravens’ protection after its extremely effective start to the season.

LEAGUE SOURCES instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter in September that Jackson declined a proposal worth about $250 million. Sources instructed Schefter that Jackson’s want was for a very assured deal, very similar to the report-setting $230 million, absolutely assured contract the Browns gave Watson.

the sides agreed to droop contract negotiations till after the season. with out an extension, Jackson does not have any assured money past his $23.016 million base wage for this season. nonetheless, Baltimore stays tethered to the thought of Jackson as its franchise quarterback.

“I acknowledged initially that it will happen when it is time, and when it is time, it goes to happen,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged earlier than the start of the season. “So, Lamar is taking half in quarterback, he is extra seemingly to be taking half in quarterback right here for a very very prolonged time.”

Cincinnati is aware of Burrow is extra seemingly to be in line for a large payday in 2023, the important yr he is eligible to signal a contract extension. crew president Mike Brown is not any stranger to paying a premium for extreme quality quarterbacks. In 2005, Cincinnati gave quarterback Carson Palmer, the crew’s earlier No. 1 whole decide earlier than Burrow, a six-yr extension worth as a lot as $119 million, making him one among many recreation’s highest-paid gamers on the time.

earlier than the start of this season, Brown acknowledged his fondness for Burrow and that he is aware of a future paycheck ought to be written quickly.

“proper now, our apparent, most important situation is extra seemingly to be with our quarterback,” Brown acknowledged in July. “it is not pretty ready or ripe but, however it is proper down the monitor. We see the prepare coming.”

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