With 525 passing yards, Joe Burrow sets a franchise record for the Cincinnati Bengals against the Baltimore Ravens. The quarterback whose record Burrow broke goes into raptures and trusts the 25-year-old to do great things.

Cincinnati – The Cincinnati Bengals have been playing in the NFL since 1967, but the big cats from Ohio have never won the Super Bowl. Twice the Bengals came close, in 1981 and 1988 they went to the Super Bowl. When Cincinnati lost 16-20 to the favoured San Francisco 49ers in a very close game in 1988, Norman Julius Esiason was the Bengals’ quarterback.

The now 60-year-old signal caller, whose nickname is “Boomer”, was voted NFL MVP that year and made the Pro Bowl four times in his career. And until Sunday, he held the Bengals’ franchise record for most passing yards, 490 against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 7, 1990.

When Joe Burrow pulverized the record Sunday in the Bengals’ 41-21 win over the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, throwing for 529 passing yards, Esiason penned an email to his old franchise. “That’s impressive! I’m very happy for him,” Esiason wrote. “I think I told you guys back before the draft that he is exactly what the Bengals need. “

Joe Burrow’s first season was cut short by a knee injury

The Bengals took Burrow first overall in the 2020 draft, and as the new franchise quarterback, the Heisman Trophy winner was expected to lead the team to a more successful future. The first season was successful until a serious knee injury in Week 11 ended the season. The 25-year-old battled back in the summer and played strong again, with the game against the Ravens now a highlight of his young career.

525 yards, four touchdowns and one interception add up to a 143.2 passer rating, another career-best for Burrows. “It means a lot to the whole team. It’s not just a reflection of my performance,” Burrow humbled himself after the game in true leader style, “It’s a reflection of the offensive line, the receivers, the coaches. The way we went out and pulled that off today, it’s very impressive. “

Head coach Zac Taylor was less guarded about his quarterback. It wasn’t until after the game, he said, that he learned Burrow had actually thrown for 525 yards. “I wasn’t surprised,” Taylor explained, “He just felt it today, the receivers felt it too. There was a lot of confidence in the whole offense. “

For Tee Higgings, Burrow is the new franchise quarterback

In fact, a special bond seems to develop between Burrow and his receivers. Tee Higgins, for example, grabbed twelve passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. When Burrow posted a photo on Instagram after the game with the succinct caption “Fun,” Higgins commented just as succinctly, “Franchise.”

And that’s exactly the point. Joe Burrow is well on his way to becoming the franchise quarterback the Bengals have been looking for. In fact, maybe he already is. In any case, he should get an opportunity to further cement his status in the coming weeks. With a record of 9-6, the Bengals lead the AFC North and have their sights firmly set on the playoffs.

Of course, the Ravens were severely shorthanded on Sunday, and of course other teams currently look even stronger than the Bengals. Nevertheless, the team can be expected to make a good run in the playoffs. The running game around running back Joe Mixon is strong, Burrow and his receivers are getting stronger and stronger, which also applies to the defence.

Only three quarterbacks amassed more passing yards in a game

How exceptional Burrow’s performance was is evident by the fact that 525 passing yards has only ever been surpassed three times in NFL history. Matt Schaub threw for 527 yards for the Houston Texans nine years ago and Warren Moon reached the same mark for the Houston Oilers in 1990. The best is held by Norm Van Brocklin, who put up 554 yards for Los Angeles Rams 70 years ago.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more he can accomplish,” Boomer Esiason said in his email to the Bengals, expressing his belief in the young quarterback’s bright future. And who knows, maybe Joe Burrow will one day even succeed in doing what his predecessor was denied.

Namely, bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Cincinnati.