Most dominant elements of the 2022/23 NFL playoffs: What to look out for in the postseason

#5. Joe Burrow’s brains and relentlessness

NFL Regular Season - Cincinnati Bengals v New England Patriots

While the “superhuman” or “alien” tags fit for the likes of Mahomes and Allen, Joe Burrow is more of a supercomputer or assassin. The Cincinnati Bengals' rise has been incredible. From picking Burrow first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft to being the AFC representative in the Super Bowl last year was in large part due to the way their quarterback and their weapons could stress opponents. Add that to a very well-schooled defense and you have a contender.

In 2022, we saw that new offensive line have major struggles early on with communication and also individual play. The heavy dose of two-high defensive structures they were facing and their own overwhelming tendencies created major issues for this unit over the first month of the season.

From Week 5 Cincinnati fully embraced the idea of being a shotgun offense. They rank behind only the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens (two teams that heavily rely on mobile quarterbacks and what they can present in the option run game) in snap rate with their signal-caller five/six yards behind the center.

Since that point, they rank behind only Kansas City in offensive EPA per play (0.148) and third in both EPA per rush and rushing success rate. Because they don’t give away information with their prior tendencies (of running the ball on first down and 12 personnel being a massive indicator for zone schemes), it has opened up their offense and made them much tougher to prepare for.

The threat of handing the ball off from the gun and out of three-WR sets fits their O-line better. They benefit from creating favorable angles and utilize pullers more regularly, which creates easier opportunities for explosive plays in the RPO game. You really see the second level not gaining depth as quickly.

More importantly, Joe Burrow has always been more comfortable with that wider peripheral vision and not having to turn his back to the defense when using play-action. His ability to ID pre-snap matchups and take vertical shots within 2.5 seconds makes him an assassin from within the pocket. That along with his awareness for leverage advantages versus zone coverage and route adjustments.

You combine that with a growth in the dropback pass game schematically. Zac Taylor and OC Brian Callahan have added more wrinkles to take the pressure off. From what I’ve seen on tape, the spacing and aim stem routes in a way that affects how defenders are leveraged by those five skill-position players has looked better-taught.

There are more well-designed rubs, formation flexibility (particularly the way they utilize their backs as coverage indicators and more integral parts of route patterns) and simply more answers for defensive looks incorporated.

So having a cyborg at that QB spot, who can take advantage of everything that’s on the table and isn’t afraid of hanging in the pocket is huge. Plus what he can present in terms of identifying opportunities to take off as a runner or wiggle his way out of sacks and muddy pockets (as we saw him do on numerous occasions during last year’s postseason run). This will make them an even bigger threat to march through the AFC yet again.