Colin Cowherd compares Joe Burrow's heroball effort to LeBron James as Bengals cling on to playoffs hope

On Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals, led by quarterback Joe Burrow pulled off a 30-24 overtime win against the Denver Broncos and hung onto their playoff dreams.

Talking about which, sports commentator Colin Cowherd didn’t hold back on The Herd podcast. He drew a comparison between Joe Burrow’s effort and the early career of Los Angeles Lakers legend, LeBron James during his Cleveland Cavaliers days, when the NBA star carried a struggling franchise to the NBA Finals despite limited support.

"This is what a franchise quarterback is," Cowherd said while hailing Burrow's talent despite the Bengals’ 29th-ranked defense, a struggling offensive line, and a weak rushing attack.

Cowherd added:

"You know what it’s reminding me of? Speaking of LeBron James’s 40th birthday, it reminds me of LeBron in Cleveland the first time."

Cowherd went on to recall how Joe Burrow made it to the Super Bowl in the 2021-2022 season but lost. He compared it to LeBron James' situation back in 2007, when the Cleveland Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals but were swept by the San Antonio Spurs because of a lack of a supporting cast.

He further noted how Burrow, like young LeBron, is playing at an elite level. However, he insinuated that the QB might eventually grow frustrated if the Bengals fail to build a competent team around him, a fate which also befell the Cavaliers after James left for Miami to win the first two championships of his career.

Now, with one game left in the regular season against the Steelers on January 5, the Bengals and their LeBron-like savior aka Joe Burrow will face a major test.

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Joe Burrows' impact on the Cincinnati Bengals

For five consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2020, the Cincinnati Bengals were a team synonymous with disappointment. The nadir came in 2019 when the team's record plummeted to 2-14.

Next year, entered Joe Burrow after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. His impact was immediate. In 2021, the QB led the Bengals to their first AFC North title and playoff appearance since 2015.

Following this, he ended a 31-year playoff win drought for the Bengals with a Wild Card win against the Raiders. Joe then came up with another win over the Titans.

Thereafter, in the AFC Championship, he scored an 18-point comeback against the Chiefs.

Although the Bengals fell short in the team's first Super Bowl LVI since 1988, Joe was already dubbed as a franchise savior.