After the Bengals won their first game of the season -- quarterback Joe Burrow’s first win of his career -- PFT spoke to Burrow by phone. Beyond Burrow’s explanation that the game ball for the first of many NFL victories went straight back into the bag, here’s what Burrow said.
As to how his mother feels about the hits he takes, and he has taken more than his fair share, Burrow said this: “You know, she doesn’t like them. But that’s how I play. She’s been watching it since I was in third grade. I can take a hit or two. She’s gotten used to it.”
He added that he’s feeling fine after four NFL games featuring plenty of NFL contact.
“I mean I go out there, lift and practice and feel fine,” Burrow said. “So, you know, bviously there’s a little treatment, a little massage here and there. My body feels great.”
Burrow explained that things changed for him after throwing a dumb interception against the Chargers in Week One.
“After I threw that interception Week One,” Burrow said, “that stupid, I don’t know what I was thinking, just gave the ball to Melvin Ingram, and after that I was kind of like, ‘Joe what are you doing? You know you’re better than this.’ So ever since then I think I’ve been playing really good football.”
Indeed he has. But playing good football isn’t enough. Burrow realizes that “every game is decided by one or two plays that teams do or don’t make,” and that “you’ve got to make them or else you lose.”
Or you tie. As the Bengals did against the Eagles in Week Three. I asked Burrow how that felt.
“I didn’t know how to feel about that,” Burrow said. “I really didn’t. I was asking people in the locker room like, ‘How am I supposed to feel after this? Like, I don’t feel good at all.’ It was just different. I’ve never tied before. It was interesting. It wasn’t fun, I’ll tell you that.”
Winning is fun. Burrow said after the game that he’d give himself three hours to enjoy it and “then back at it.”
It won’t be easy this week. Indeed, the Ravens are double-digit underdogs. If Burrow keeps playing like he has, however, that will change. Soon.
