CINCINNATI (AP) — For the first time all season, Joe Burrow found his top form against the San Francisco 49ers last week for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Just in the nick of time.
The franchise quarterback had struggled through much of the early season because of a calf injury that had sidelined him for the entirety of training camp. One of the NFL’s best signal-callers just wasn’t at his best.
An uneven 17-13 win over Seattle on Oct. 15 pushed the Bengals to a manageable 3-3 before their bye week
Last Sunday, two days before Halloween, Burrow was wearing an alien mask when he got off the team bus. When the game started, he assumed the role of superhero again.
Burrow threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. His 87.5% completion rate in the game was the best of his career.
“Joe is Joe, man,” said safety Micah Hyde whose Buffalo Bills (5-3) will face the Bengals on Sunday night in Cincinnati. “Last week was a big indication of what they’re able to do on offense with the weapons he has around him. We know that’s their team, that’s their offense, and they go when Joe goes.”
In the previous meeting of the teams, Burrow threw two touchdown passes and Cincinnati’s defense swarmed quarterback Josh Allen on snow-slicked field in Orchard Park, New York, as the Bengals prevailed 27-10 in an AFC divisional playoff game Jan. 22.
