Joe Burrow Clearly 'Best Player in the World,' Bengals Coach Zac Taylor Boldly Declares

The Cincinnati quarterback made big throw after big throw in Saturday's overtime win against Denver.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and head coach Zac Taylor head for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Commanders at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. The Bengals remain winless after a 38-33 loss to Washington. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NFL MVP race will likely come down to a pair of AFC quarterbacks: the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson. For Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor, however, there is no better football player in the world than his gunslinger, Joe Burrow.

Burrow is unlikely to contend for the award as the Bengals scratch and claw to hang on to their playoff hopes, but Burrow has been magnificent all season. After Saturday's dramatic overtime win in which Burrow threw for 412 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns, Taylor declared him the best player in football.

"I don't know that anyone can stand on a field and watch Joe Burrow and say that he's not the best player in the world," Taylor said after the game. "And you can transfer that argument to [Bengals wide receiver] Ja'Marr Chase as well. And you can argue those two to death. But the clearest thing I can say is I would not trade Joe Burrow for any player in the universe, and so to me that's MVP."

Burrow out-dueled Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix, who had his own impressive showing on Saturday, making potential game-winning throw after game-winning throw. As Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer laid out after the game, Burrow rushed for what could have been the game-winning touchdown with 1:29 remaining in regulation, set up a potential game-winning 33-yard field goal in overtime that Cade York missed and ultimately sealed the deal with his overtime touchdown to Tee Higgins, his third scoring connection of the night with the star wide receiver.

Just to contextualize what happened tonight, re: Burrow/MVP ...

With his season on the line, and faced with one of the best defenses in football, that sacked him seven times, Joe Burrow basically won the game 3 times for the Bengals (regulation, missed FG in OT, game-winner).

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 29, 2024

At 8–8, the Bengals still have more work to do to reach the playoffs. They'll need to beat the Steeelers on the road in Week 18, and have plenty of other outcomes break their way: a win by the Kansas City Chiefs (who will likely be resting starters) against the Broncos and losses by the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts down the stretch.

With 4,641 passing yards and 42 touchdowns to eight interceptions on the year, if Cincinnati can reach the postseason, Burrow does have his own compelling MVP case.

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