The Loop
This camera angle of Joe Burrow's game-clinching throw is pure football porn
As is seemingly the case every Sunday, there were a number of stunning results in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers handling the Baltimore Ravens on the road, the 1-5 Minnesota Vikings disposing of the 5-1 Green Bay Packers, the Miami Dolphins beating the L.A. Rams by double digits and the Denver Broncos' miraculous comeback against the L.A. Chargers, to name a few. Just another week in the league.
But the biggest stunner occurred in Cincinnati, where the Joe Burrow-led Bengals were seven-point home underdogs against the 5-1 Tennessee Titans. A number of injuries on the Bengals offensive line led many to predict that Burrow would take a beating, and that the Titans would easily bounce back off a loss to the Steelers. Instead, Burrow had his best game as a pro, completing 26 of 37 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. A franchise quaterback-type performance, some would say.
His most impressive moment came in the clutch, just like so many of his impressive moments did at LSU. Facing a 3rd and 9 with nine minutes left in the game, Burrow needed to convert or settle for a field goal, which would have kept it a two-possession game at 27-14 (if Cincy made the FG). Tennessee brought seven rushers, and Burrow evaded them all and threw the ball to a spot in the middle of the field. His receiver, Tyler Boyd, had his back turned to the ball but turned at just the right moment and made an incredible catch. The endzone camera angle, tweeted out about NFL analyst Brandon Thorn, is football porn of the highest degree:
Yes, the throw from Burrow is excellent, but this play is so mesmerizing to watch because of Boyd's adjustment to the ball. Receivers having their back turned to the ball is nothing new, as many NFL routes required perfect timing to complete the pass, but this is another level from No. 83. He did get away with a little push-off, but he was also being grabbed by the defensive back. Let the boys play.
Here's some more film nerd stuff from Thorn on Burrow:
This dude is pretty special. For the first time since Carson Palmer, Bengals fans have a guy to be extremely excited about. What could possibly go wrong?