The Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow moving forward, even if that means fines or sanctions

CINCINNATI— Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was hit, hit, hit again Thursday night 35-34 loss to the Ravens.

Baltimore had a lot of clean hits on the star signal caller, but they also got away with a few late hits that should have been penalties, including a Marlon Humphrey hit where he took four steps after the ball was thrown and still hit Burrow. (video below).

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor acknowledges he needs to be louder about the hits because they are unacceptable.

“I have to fight harder for Joe to get some of that because he doesn’t want to do it. He doesn’t want to disrupt his flow in the game,” Taylor said Friday. “I just have to keep fighting for things like that because you don’t want to lose him on a play long after the play is over.”

Humphrey’s goal would be called at any level of football. Burrow was seen wincing on the sideline as he tried to pick up his helmet with his left arm after the play.

Taylor described Burrow on Friday as “sore.” The star quarterback avoided a serious injury, but these types of hits are unacceptable.

Whether it’s Taylor, Burrow himself, Ja’Marr Chase or any of the other players in the locker room, someone needs to stand up and make sure opponents, officials and the entire league know that it is unacceptable to treat Burrow in this way. hit.

“I feel like I’ve never gotten those calls before. So I don’t really expect that,” Burrow said after the game. “I have a feeling there were a few close. Again, I don’t expect them.”

The Bengals need to start demanding them or punish anyone willing to take FOUR steps and hit Burrow after he throws the ball.

Just a week later Bengals center Ted Karras said he regretted not confronting Maxx Crosby for a questionable (at best) hit on Burrow, a division rival cornerback got a free shot on him.

To be fair, the Bengals offensive line probably didn’t see Humphrey’s hit in real time outside of Cody Ford, but this is all about the Bengals’ mentality.

They’re asking Burrow to do more than any other quarterback in the NFL. Thursday night he went out against a division rival, dropped over 60 times, diagnosed the defense pre-snap, post-snap, had to read the right reads and try to lead them to victory.

The Bengals lost, but Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns. If Cincinnati wants to climb out of their 4-6 hole, they will do it with Burrow as the leader.

If he’s willing to enter Baltimore with a game plan designed knowing he would take some hits, his teammates and coaches could do their part to protect him. That includes being enforcers or punishers when a veteran like Humphrey, who certainly knows what he’s doing, takes a shot like that on Burrow.

What does that mean?

Taylor, the rest of the coaching staff and the entire roster should do well, with the occasional penalty for defending Burrow both on and off the field.

Otherwise, the Chargers, Steelers and every other opponent the Bengals play this season will push the envelope because of how valuable Burrow is and the fact that the officials aren’t calling every late hit on the star quarterback.

It is unacceptable and it cannot happen in the future.

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The Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow moving forward, even if that means fines or sanctions

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