Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow violates that Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Head coach Zac Taylor emphasized how much he wanted to change the culture since he took over the Bengals in 2019. While it has been a process, the Bengals are looking for more tangible evidence of the cultural shift. Sunday’s victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road was an example of a culture shift. It shows the Bengals while rebuilding is moving in the right direction as they attempt to gain traction and improve every season.
The young electrifying Burrow is helping shape the culture alongside with Ja’Marr Chase and other great role players on that offense. The chemistry these two have also played a huge effect on their early success in the 2021 season.
Burrow and Chase’s Connection
These two helped LSU win a national title in 2019. They scored two touchdowns as the Bengals beat the Steelers, marking their first win against them since 2015, according to ESPN.
“We’re learning how to win,” Burrow said. “It’s an exciting time for Bengals fans, and we’ll keep the momentum going.”
Chase noticed the Steelers defensive back was turning his hips too late within the cuts whenever he went deep. Chase spoke to Burrow about it privately on the sideline, and Burrow responded by lobbing a dime to Chase seconds before the half. Burrow went on to throw for 172 yards three touchdowns and an interception. He recorded a 123% quarterback rating for his performance against the Steelers.
“It was an amazing throw by Joe,” Chase said. “He put it right in front of me, exactly where I needed it. It allowed me to make an incredible catch. The timing was perfect.”
The Bengals Are Better Than Advertised
The Bengals defense stepped up big in this outing against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. They failed to protect Burrow and get to Big Ben last November when they met. The Steelers were undermanned as their two best pass rushers didn’t play due to injuries. This may explain, why they broke the streak of 75 games of having a sack. They allowed Burrow to go all game untouched and as a result, he went 14 for 18. While also allowing the relentless Bengals pass rush to get to Big Ben four times and intercepted twice.
“We need to improve,” said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. “The way we played today is not setting us up for victory.”
