Burrow’s confidence driving Bengals’ success, lofty comparisons

LOS ANGELES — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has drawn some pretty lofty comparisons the last few weeks.

He’s the next Tom Brady, according to social media posts. No, he’s clearly the second coming of Joe Montana, TV sports talk show hosts maintain.

At least one aspect of his game makes those parallels not sound so crazy.

Burrow has made the Bengals’ locker room believe they can win every time they step on the field. That confidence has translated to a run through the AFC playoffs and a berth in Sunday’s Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium.

“He’s been such a big part of what we’re doing,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “When you believe you have a quarterback that can take you the distance, it allows everybody just to play that 1 percent better. We have a lot of confidence in him and he has a lot of confidence in himself, so it’s fun to be a part of.”

Belief is one aspect of football, and even sports in general, that can’t be quantified. Burrow has done pretty well in the measurable aspects of the game too, though.

He was the No. 1-rated quarterback in the league this season, according to Pro Football Focus, and has only stepped up his game during the playoffs.

But there’s far more to why Burrow’s name is already being mentioned with some of the greatest quarterbacks to ever take the field, beyond just the “Joe Cool” moniker he shares with Montana.

“Obviously anytime you’re comparing anybody to Tom Brady or Joe Montana, the hyperbole is getting a little out of control already because those are two of the top five quarterbacks to ever play the game,” PFF’s Sam Monson said. “But you can see why people are connecting him to those two.”

That’s because Burrow has shown the same cool, calm performance under pressure that Brady and Montana had. “There’s this degree of confidence that everybody has that didn’t exist even when (the Bengals) had good quarterbacks before,” Monson said.

It resonates through the entire team. In each of the last two playoff games, the Bengals intercepted a pass late in a tied game.

Burrow led game-winning field goal drives in both of those contests to advance Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl since 1988 and has a chance to deliver the city its first Lombardi Trophy.

Monson said Burrow’s attitude and demeanor in pressure-packed situations are what have been most reminiscent of Montana.

“It didn’t matter how much Joe Montana had screwed up in a game,” Monson said. “He could be three interceptions deep. But everybody knew that if you gave him the ball back late in the game with a chance to win it, he was going to go get it done for you. I think there’s something to that buy-in that Joe Burrow is creating now that does make him different.”

The difference is that Burrow is just getting started while the all-time greats were able to place their names in the pantheon of NFL history by maintaining that level for many years.

Burrow believes he will be able to do the same because of all the experience he has already gained in high-stress spots.

He was a state champion in high school and then led LSU to a national championship in college. The more success he’s able to have, the less he will feel the enormity of any moment.

In fact, he says he’s more calm this week than he was for the Ohio state championship game in 2014. His team lost their first appearance in the title game, but Burrow took the lessons he learned and carried them forward.

Taylor has seen it firsthand and has no reason to believe it won’t continue.

“He’s built for this stage,” the Bengals coach said. “I think that’s been his expectation all along. He’s not surprised by it. He rises to these occasions.”

While Taylor has helped guide Burrow to a tremendous season in his sophomore campaign, he deflected any credit for his quarterback’s unflappable nature.

“That’s a special quality and it predates my time with him, I can promise you that,” Taylor said. “Whether he gets it from his dad and his mom, or it’s just something he’s always had innately, I don’t know that anyone else deserves the credit for that other than Joe Burrow. It’s what makes him special.

Burrow admits there was a time when the confidence was difficult to muster. He committed to Ohio State out of high school and arrived with great expectations only to redshirt as a freshman and then spend two seasons as a backup. He broke out as a star after transferring to LSU. His confidence soared as his game took off.

His top receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who was also a teammate at LSU, has taken notice.

“When I first met him, he wasn’t a very social person,” Chase said. “Because he was around new people, I’m assuming. I think his confidence grew as we started winning, as he got back on the field. That’s when the swag started to take off. ”

Burrow agrees with that assessment.

“I’ve kind of always been a confident player, but more so now than probably ever before because I feel like I’ve proven to myself I could play at a high level,” he said. “ I think as a quarterback, it’s really important to exude that confidence not only in yourself, but your teammates. I think the quarterback sets the tone for the culture in the locker room. I try to be that type of player and person for everybody here.”

That can be contagious. Burrow has seen it this season.

“As a quarterback, I’m not afraid to make mistakes because I know our defense will pick us up if I do. That allows me to go out there and play freely. And I think our defense is the same, knowing the offense will pick them up if they’re down.”

That symbiotic relationship will be put to the test one more time on Sunday against the Rams. His coach believes Burrow is more than ready.

“When the moment is big, he plays really big,” Taylor said.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.