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Bengals QB Joe Burrow Offers Ho-Hum Reaction to Sizzling Start in Most Extensive Preseason Acton of Career

Jay Morrison|
Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bengals

In his first five seasons in the league, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow played 15 preseason snaps, going

Thursday night during the Bengals’ 34-27 loss at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Burrow played 15 snaps and went 9 for 10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns for a near-perfect passer rating of 157.5.

Talk about a fast start, even if Burrow did call his performance "average."

The whole point for getting Burrow and the first-team offense more work in the preseason is avoid the slow starts that have plagued the Bengals since Zac Taylor arrived, with the team going 1-11 in Weeks 1-2 since 2019.

The Eagles didn't play their starters, but still, if Burrow plays 60 minutes against the Browns the way he played 10 minutes against the Eagles, Taylor won’t likely be fielding any slow-start questions after the game.

Burrow’s first pass of the night, an 18-yard attempt up the seam, went off the hands of receiver Tee Higgins.

The pass was slightly behind Higgins, and the broadcast caught Burrow putting the blame on himself.

After that, Burrow was 9 for 9 with touchdown passes of 12 yards to Tanner Hudson and 36 yards to Ja’Marr Chase.

"I missed the first throw. That was disappointing," Burrow said. "After that we locked in and have a couple of nice drives.

"Today was average," Burrow added. "Next week I'd like to be a little better. I could have been better with the first throw. I put all the other ones where I wanted to put them. I would have liked to have spun it a little better."

The Hudson touchdown capped the opening possession and came just two plays after what could have been a drive-killing 15-yard penalty for a chop block against Lucas Patrick. It set up first and goal at the 21, but Burrow hit Charlie Jones for 9 yards before connecting with Hudson on the touchdown.

Burrow hit Chase four times for 77 yards.

And Chase Brown caught three passes for 25 yards.

Burrow was pressured on a couple of attempts and hit once – on the 36-yard touchdown pass to Chase, with Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter making a preseason decision to let up just a bit before contact.

"Just the threat of being hit is a big reason we want those guys out there. He knows he’s not going to get hit in practice.," head coach Zac Taylor said. "So I think just for it to feel real in a game, whether he's getting hit or not, I think just him having the knowledge that it's possible, you know, someone can lose a one on one and you hit on the backside, a free runner can come in, that's, that's a whole different you can't simulate that rep in practice."

Six of his pass attempts came out of the shotgun, while four started under center.

The Bengals averaged 9.7 yards per play during the 15 snaps Burrow played.

"We got 15 reps tonight," Burrow said. "We're 15 reps better."

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.