LSU Stars Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase Are Super Bowl Bound

Former Tigers stars complete one of the great turnarounds in NFL history by punching ticket to Super Bowl 56

The confidence of Joe Burrow continues to reign supreme in even the most difficult of situations on the gridiron. 

In Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, down 21-3 midway through the second quarter, his demeanor never wavered.

Burrow and the Bengals would go on to outscore the Chiefs electrifying offense 24-3 over the next two quarters and overtime, advancing to their first Super Bowl since 1989.

"We've been a second-half team all year," Burrow told CBS Sports' Jim Nantz after the game. "We don't really want to be that way, but it's kind of how it's worked out. Our defense really stepped up in the second half, and on offense we made plays when we had to. Our offensive line played great; we started running the ball. Just a great overall team effort."

The LSU tandem of Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase was held in check most of the night, connecting on six receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. Burrow ended the night 23-of-38 for 250 yards and two touchdowns, lifting this team when they needed him most in any way imaginable.

Through the first half, it looked like the Chiefs were going to run away with this one, dominating every facet of the game and applying pressure to Burrow in the backfield routinely. The in-game adjustments by head coach Zac Taylor and his Bengals staff shifted the momentum for this offense to get into rhythm while the defense got to Mahomes in the pocket consistently.

“Our defense really stepped up and made plays in the second half,” Burrow said. “And on offense we made plays when we had to. I thought the offensive line played really well all day. We started running the ball there at the end and that’s exciting.”

Having a signal-caller of Burrow’s caliber also helps their case. Possessing the it factor and never being rattled by the most difficult of situations, this team feels comfortable no matter what the scoreboard says.

What Burrow has accomplished in Year 2 has rewritten the record books. Becoming the first No. 1 pick in NFL history to start a Super Bowl in his first two seasons, he’s taken that next step to solidify himself as a top quarterback in the NFL.

“I wouldn’t call it surreal, I would say it’s exciting,” Burrow said after the Bengals AFC Championship Game victory. “I think if you would have told me before the season that we’d be going to the Super Bowl, I probably would have called you crazy. Then, you know, we play the whole season and nothing surprises me now.”

Giving his team a boost and staying poised is what makes Burrow so special. On the field goal drive that would put Cincinnati up 24-21, Burrow had two clutch third down scrambles to keep the drive alive, putting his team in position to win.

It’s just who Burrow is and has been his entire career. When the lights are brightest and a play needs to be made, he arrives as cool as the other side of the pillow. He’s fought for moments like this his entire career. 

Being buried on the Ohio State depth chart, transferring to get an opportunity in college and getting his rookie season cut short due to a devastating knee injury, it’s what has built him into the player he is today.

From winning just two of his 10 games as the starter during his rookie year, overcoming adversity to get to the top of the mountain is what has shaped the second-year gunslinger. Now, he has the chance to bring a Super Bowl to his home state and let the world know this is the new norm in Cincinnati.

“It's something I'm really proud of, being from Ohio, being a quarterback of the Bengals," Burrow said. "[Cincinnati is] two-and-a-half hours from my home town. This is something I've always wanted, to play in the Super Bowl, and I'm doing it with a great group of guys."