Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel expects to have his hands full with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow on Thursday night, but his analysis of the quarterback starts before he’s on the field.
McDaniel was asked at a Tuesday press conference what he’s seen from Burrow over the 2020 first overall pick’s first two-plus years in the league. McDaniel’s first observation was about the kind of confidence that Burrow carries with him when he’s walking into the stadium.
“Well, coming off the bus, I see swag,” McDaniel said. “And then on the field — which yeah, I have a sound place in my heart for [swag]. But yeah, you really, really like — I don’t know, I appreciate guys, that you know, you’re the No. 1 pick in the draft. That is a burden for some. It was a blessing for him and I really respect guys that come out, take all that hype and do justice by it or exceed it. The guy has great vision and awareness. He’s very mobile both within the pocket staying a passer and escaping to run. Great touch. Great accuracy. And he really not only makes plays for their offense, but he helps other players make plays because of his ball location. So he’s one of the true young flag bearers of our league that does a great job and it’s a tremendous challenge for our defense to go out there and face him really.”
A short week following an emotional win over a divisional rival in hot conditions might not be the ideal precursor to trying to shut down Burrow, but that’s the task that awaits McDaniel and the Dolphins on Thursday night.