Joe Burrow is ready. While the Cincinnati Bengals will be facing Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Chiefs in the AFC title game, the second-year QB is not feeling the pressure and is instead loving the moment.
While the Bengals are not expected to beat the Chiefs and are actually longshots to make the Super Bowl, Burrow couldn't care less. He has made the work to prepare himself for big moments, and he is confident he and the rest of the team have what it takes to fight for the championship.
“These are the reason that I play football. I play to get to these moments and to make plays and take advantage of my opportunities. I work really hard for these moments. If I worked really hard and never got to the position I am in now, playing in the AFC Championship Game chance to go to the Super Bowl, I think that would be tough for me to mentally work as hard as I do each week in the offseason to come in and go .500 every year and be a fringe playoff team. I work so hard so I get to these moments and play well,” Burrow said, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
Joe Burrow has every reason to be feeling really good and motivated heading to Sunday's do-or-die affair. After all, the 25-year-old signal-caller has been phenomenal for the Bengals in the playoffs, having recorded two touchdowns and 592 yards on 73 percent pass completion.
His big year with Cincinnati, one that saw them top the AFC North after a 10-7 season, also allowed Burrow to become the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. To recall, he tore his ACL in Week 11 of the 2020 season, which put an end to an otherwise solid rookie campaign. Clearly, his preparation every year and mentality to always be ready have allowed him to thrive even after a frustrating injury.
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For what it's worth, Burrow understands what he and the Bengals need to do to take down the Chiefs: perfection. He is up against Patrick Mahomes in the Conference Championship, and for them to have any chance of winning, he can't afford to make even one mistake–something that could be costly in a postseason game.
The Bengals and Chiefs have already met once in 2021, during Week 17 when Cincinnati took the 34-31 victory to clinch the AFC North Division title. However, Burrow knows the postseason is a different beast and they cannot be overconfident.
“Near perfect,” Burrow said on the level of quarterback play he needs to have come the AFC title game. “Every week of the playoffs has proven that…Patrick Mahomes has been near perfect for four years…That’s what it’s going to take for me. It’s not just a quarterback-driven game, it’s a team game. But, I think wins and losses usually come down to how each quarterback plays.”
Burrow has already achieved so much in just his second season. He is the first no. 1 pick to start a conference championship in his first two years, something that even greats like Peyton Manning wasn't able to do. As he mentioned, it was his hard work that got him to where he is know, and so Mahomes and the Chiefs can certainly expect that he'll double that effort or even more when they meet at Arrowhead Stadium.
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