Joe Burrow Leads Bengals Past Falcons Before Major Division Matchup

Big performance in Madrid

Joe Burrow talked a big game during the offseason about Super Bowl goals, and he backed it up on Sunday. The quarterback led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 34-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. It marked the fourth straight win for Cincinnati, bringing their overall record to 6-2 on the season.

Burrow was nearly flawless throughout the game. He completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and four total touchdowns, scoring three through the air and one on the ground. He became just the fifth player in league history to throw for at least 23 touchdowns with a completion rate of 70 percent or higher through eight games. Three of the other players to accomplish that won the MVP award. He is also the fifth player in history to produce four or more total touchdowns in four straight games. Burrow leads the league with a 79.5 QBR rating this year.

Receivers step up for Burrow

Burrow had plenty of support from his top receivers. Ja'Marr Chase pulled in 10 catches on 12 targets for 155 yards and a touchdown. That scoring play was a 47 yard pass down the right sideline. It served as redemption for Burrow, who had underthrown a similar pass the previous week against the Tennessee Titans that resulted in an interception.

Tee Higgins added two touchdown catches despite recording just 32 receiving yards. After the win, head coach Zac Taylor noted that Burrow is playing at an unbelievably high level right now, making it easy to put the ball in his hands on every play.

Big matchup ahead

The victory puts Cincinnati in its best position since selecting Burrow with the top pick in the 2020 draft. Meanwhile, the Falcons fell to 3-6 on the season.

Cincinnati now turns its attention to next week, when they host the division leading Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. Pittsburgh holds a 6-2 record and already won the first game between these two AFC North teams this season.

What it means for the next game

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (NFL, Mon, 16 Nov): Cincinnati Bengals win 56%, Pittsburgh Steelers win 44%; projected score Cincinnati Bengals 25, Pittsburgh Steelers 22. Our safest pick: Steelers +10.5.