Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow was looking like his Heisman Trophy-winning form as he settled in right away in his first game as a pro. However, his individual performance wasn't enough as the team went on to lose a close one against the Los Angeles Chargers on a 16-13 outcome.
Despite the loss, Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Green heaped praise on the rookie's performance in his first NFL game:
“He's unbelievable. That guy doesn't flinch. The way he handled himself in that last drive was unbelievable,” the Bengals wide receiver said. “I haven't seen no rookie the way he handled it after adversity. We got a special one in Joe and we are going to be better next week. We are going to build this thing brick by brick and get better each week.”
The 2020 top overall pick recorded a total of 193 passing yards on 23 out of 36 completions along with a 23-yard rushing touchdown. Bengals kicker Randy Bullock contributed seven points on 2 out of 3 field goal attempts.
The Bengals eventually found themselves on the edge of their toes as they came close to pulling the rug on the Chargers. However, late-game miscues and crucial errors eventually hurt the team's chances of winning.
Green himself was called for a highly debatable offensive pass interference penalty with seven seconds left in the game. Bullock also missed a 31-yard field goal attempt and went down grabbing his left calf in the process.
The future is indeed looking promising for Burrow and the rest of the Bengals. The rookie's NFL debut sent a message to the rest of the league that Joe Cool has finally arrived and is here to stay for a long time.
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