Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their playoff aspirations alive with a hard-fought 30-24 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 17. However, they still require significant assistance in Week 18. They must defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers while counting on the New York Jets to defeat the Miami Dolphins and the Broncos to lose against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Although it remains uncertain if they will secure a playoff spot, the fact that the Bengals have a shot in Week 18 is remarkable. They currently have the fourth-worst defense in the league, and their kicking game has been poor. Evan McPherson has only made 72.7% of his field goal attempts, placing him 37th in the league.
Burrow and the offense are the reason Cincinnati is still in contention for the playoffs. The quarterback has had an outstanding season, leading the league in both passing yards and touchdowns. Many believe he deserves the MVP title, but it seems unlikely.
While Burrow may not take home the coveted prize for his efforts this year,
he’s confident he will win it. When asked about his odds of being named the MVP during his media availability on Tuesday, the Bengals superstar
downplayed his chances. He said:
“I’ll win [the MVP award] one day.”
Joe Burrow with perspective on MVP. Doesn’t think he will win it this year without winning the division.
“I’ll win one one day.”
He’s not wrong.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 31, 2024
Joe Burrow’s performance in 2024 has been outstanding
He has accumulated 4,641 passing yards, along with 42 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His quarterback rating of 76.7 ranks him second in the league, just behind Lamar Jackson (78.0), while his passer rating of 109.8 is surpassed only by Jackson (121.6) and Jared Goff (113.6).
Burrow has made history by becoming the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record ten games in a season with at least 250 passing yards and three touchdowns, joining the ranks of Tom Brady (2007), Peyton Manning (2013), and Patrick Mahomes (2018). Each of these quarterbacks went on to win the MVP award.
If Burrow throws three touchdown passes in the Bengals’ season finale against the Steelers, he will finish the season with 45 touchdown passes. He would then be the second quarterback ever, after Drew Brees, to throw 45 touchdown passes without winning the MVP award. Brees threw 46 touchdowns in 2011 but lost the MVP to Aaron Rodgers, who also had 45.
Despite his historic season, it appears that Burrow and the Bengals may miss the playoffs, which could prevent him from receiving what many believe would be a well-deserved MVP title.
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