Joe Burrow has accomplished quite a bit in his four seasons as a quarterback. The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has revived the Cincinnati Bengals franchise, guiding the team to its first Super Bowl since the 1988 season and to back-to-back titles in the AFC North.
But BetOhio.com, as part of our Ohio sports betting coverage, wanted to know how Burrow has fared in Bengals home openers. We looked at ProFootballReference.com to discover how Joe Burrow has performed historically during his NFL career in home openers. On Sept. 8, Burrow and the Bengals open their regular season at home against the Patriots, so how should we expect the star QB to play?
Years | Record | Average | Average | Average | Average Turnovers | Average QBR |
2020-2023 | 1-3 | 66.52% | 278.5 yards | 1.8 TDs | 1.8 | 85.6 QBR |
For this season’s prospects, check out Cincinnati Bengals playoff chances.
If there has been a flaw with Burrow, the Ohio native, it has been his health. Burrow missed the last six games of his rookie season after tearing ligaments in a game against Washington. Last season, he tore a ligament in his throwing wrist during a game in Baltimore that ended his year after just 10 games.
He also missed preseason time after undergoing an appendectomy before the 2022 season, then suffering a calf strain early in last season’s training camp. The latter two issues affected Burrow's performance in the most recent home openers, as he did not take a snap in any preseason contest. Not surprisingly, the Bengals lost both home openers. Folks using Ohio sportsbook apps might watch the preseason to see if Burrow can get ramped up better in 2024.
In the 2022 regular-season opener, after taking a sack, Burrow’s first pass of the season was picked off by Pittsburgh’s Minkah Fitzpatrick, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers built a 17-3 lead in the first half, but Burrow rallied Cincy back. A 6-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase with 0:02 left in regulation seemed to be the game-winner, but an injury to the long snapper led to a missed extra point. The Steelers won 23-20 in overtime. See Bengals vs. Steelers odds for this season’s schedule and outlook between the AFC North rivals.
Last year, the Bengals hosted the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. Burrow, still limited by the calf strain, had difficulties throwing deep passes. Even with a truncated playbook, the Bengals hung with the Ravens. The key play, however, was Burrow being picked off in the red zone during the first drive of the second half. Rather than Cincinnati scoring at least a field goal to tie the game, the Ravens marched for a touchdown to take a 20-10 lead in a game the visitors would claim 27-24.
As for this year, the books are bullish that Burrow will return to form and stay healthy. At bet365 Ohio Sportsbook, the Bengals are one of three teams with +1200 odds to win the Super Bowl, the fourth lowest on the futures board.
You can’t blame Bengals fans if they are a little jittery this time of the year. However, by all accounts, Burrow seems to have fully recovered from his wrist injury and is finally (knock on wood) healthy for a full preseason. Coach Zac Taylor has even indicated that Burrow might get some snaps during the exhibition games.
Unlike the past two seasons, Cincinnati will not have to host a division rival for the home season opener. Instead, the Bengals welcome the new-look New England Patriots. For now, oddsmakers have made the Bengals the biggest favorite in Week 1. At Caesars Ohio Sportsbook, Cincinnati spots the Pats 9.5 points.
USA Today photo by Kareem Elgazzar
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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