The Protection of Joe Burrow is Key to the Future of the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are in the 2022 Super Bowl game, defeating all the odds and their doubters to reach the biggest game of the season. Whether you are looking at this particular run, or the future with Joe Burrow under center, how the Bengals protect him is likely to be one of the biggest factors in how much success they have as a team.

The Bengals are up against it in the 2022 game, as of February 8th, the latest Super Bowl winner odds have the Bengals at +184 so they are the underdogs when they go into the game against the LA Rams. However, their fans will be very quick to tell you that they were also underdogs when beating the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs over the past two games to get to this stage.

The fact that they have Burrow, one of the most exciting up-and-coming quarterbacks, will mean they are included in many NFL tips to win this year, and for the future, such is the talent he is demonstrating. However, he does need to be given time to develop his skills further, and this is one of the big elements that are likely to decide who wins the Super Bowl.

In this game, and beyond in the future, can the Cincinnati Bengals protect Burrow enough, so that he can fully shine in this league?

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Players and Tactics Need to Focus on the Protection of Burrow

Any Bengals fan would have been concerned with what they saw when the Bengals beat Tennessee in the divisional round of the playoffs. Yes, the Bengals won the game, and it is thanks to that win that they are heading to the Super Bowl, but the bigger picture was not good.

The #Bengals have found ways to win even with poor offensive line play.

Burrow was sacked 51 times in 2021, they won the AFC North. He was sacked 9 times against the Titans, they won the game. They’ll need to find a way again Sunday.

— Blake Jewell (@BlakeJewellNFL) February 8, 2022

Burrow was sacked a total of nine times in that game, with the Titans rushing the play a lot, putting pressure onto Burrow, and getting to him with ease. That didn’t happen as much when the Bengals won against Kansas in the AFC Championship game, but the Chiefs are not known for rushing with their defense on a regular basis.

What needs to happen moving forward is that the Bengals have to address this. Their best bet for doing so is with the upcoming 2022 Draft this summer. After focusing on Ja’Marr Chase last year to give Burrow the weapon he needed, now it is time to give him the protection he needs.

At least one, if not two, draft picks that are used in the earlier rounds this summer need to be spent on offensive lineman, in order to shore things up and add more protection for their quarterback. Get this right and the Bengals can grow, get it wrong, and we may never see Burrow having the chance the shine.