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Film Breakdown: Joe Burrow Shreds Dolphins, Proves Reading Coverages Still Matters

Burrow put on a masterclass of reading coverages, seeing through disguises, and proving a lot of people across the sport very wrong.
Max Toscano|
Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts before the play during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts before the play during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In this story:

Cincinnati Bengals

If you've spent any time on Twitter in the last couple of weeks, you have likely read the words "pure progression" quite often. I imagine you've also seen this clip:

For the last 10 or so years, ever since the Shanahan offenses really began to proliferate, there has been this culture war among OCs and QB-focused figures about how best to design the framework for QBs to make their reads. Lately, that has hit the mainstream, with reporters asking people across the league what THEY think:

The above clips with Allen and Stafford are all on pure progression, which simply means a read in a fixed sequence of 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 (or however many routes are out in the distribution), as you see above. On this concept for example, the QB will work from the "drag china" to the "flag" to the "race" (short dig) to the "pivot" to the checkdown. Same order and timing every time. That is, of course, incredibly difficult to execute at NFL speed, but it's still the more simplified, generalized way to read concepts. It strips out as many layers of consideration as possible and simply gives the QB an "open, not open" proposition.

If you couldn't gather, the discussion is about whether, in a general systemic sense, to read routes in a fixed order and timing, or ID the coverage and have that determine where you're looking whenever possible. I touched on this in my offseason series about the current state of QB play and evaluation, though I didn't expect it to burst into the public lexicon so forcefully.

The elite of the elite processors can change the sequence of their read on the fly on identification of coverage. So instead of just going 1-2-3, they'll identify the coverage and that will determine what 1-2-3 is. This allows QBs to tailor a bit more than pure progression concepts will and streamline the options they actually look at. While this seems easier in theory, that additional layer and need to straddle the choosing of your own adventure is much more difficult. For those who can handle it, it's optimal for many concepts as it eliminates waste in timing and helps you ensure the ball is out quicker. The better your QB's processing, the more real-time adaptability you get to have. 

My argument today is simple: If reading coverages and using them to whittle down your options is so difficult against modern defenses with modern disguises, why did Joe Burrow do it on Sunday (as he does every week)? We can learn a lot about how to teach QBs to stay flexible in a modern context from the Bengals' offense against the Dolphins. It's all about deductive reasoning:

Burrow Shreds Miami

Burrow runs
Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Miami's gameplan was geared around disguising coverages around a bedrock framework of Cover-2, trying to force Burrow to hold the ball while he figured it out, and hoping the rush got there in time. Cover-2 insulates you from the vertical game, which is the most dangerous element of facing Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. If that sounds like a familiar plan, it should. It's the book on defending the Bengals. It's not necessarily all that effective, but it's the best opponents can do.

It's entirely dependent on the rush getting home MORE quickly than the standard 2.5 seconds, however, and the Bengals' improved (horrific to average) pass protection will mostly kill this approach unless you happen to get a great read on their concepts, which is tough for reasons we'll get into.

After a early punishment for the man coverage they played to set up their main gameplan, Miami disguised as much as they could. The Bengals, from a QB read perspective, still do things the 2000s way to make sure that they are getting to the optimal answers as efficiently as possible. They can ensure they're attacking the structure with tight timing instead of throwing things at the wall. Burrow here has a baseline progression, but since they get Cover-2, Gesicki converts his route to split the safeties and Burrow skips right to it to hit.

There's no wasted time going through other routes before accessing the right answer. The baseline concept is not good against Cover-2, but the conversion and alerts give the Bengals adjustments in-play if they pick it up. You'll notice that they do disguise the coverage. You can't disguise everything from any look. There are only so many things you can do from certain alignments.

Generally speaking, the above concept needs to be read on pure progression in most situations. The routes flow in sequence, so you have to follow that flow or the timing doesn't work out. If the alerts are triggered, one of which is more pre-snap (the go if the corner is clearly pressed up and you're confident he's 1v1) and the other being more post-snap (Gesicki's conversion), that progression goes away. The use of alerts and route-conversions like Gesicki's allow them to maintain flexibility to attack coverages with optimal efficiency even within pure progression, fixed order concepts.

Dolphins coverage shell
Screenshot

If you look at their pre-snap alignment, there's a single high S, the field side (top) CB is on the ball, and the FS is aligned over the TE Gesicki detached to that weak side. At this point, it'll either be Cover-3, Cover-2, or man coverage (Cover-1). From here, all you have to do is see what the safeties do. If one spins to deep post or the guy aligned there stays there, it'll be Cover-3 or Cover-1. If nobody spins to deep post, it's gonna be Cover-2 (not Cover-4 for reasons we'll get into shortly). These aren't absolute rules or anything, they're just deduced off of this configuration, but you can make determinations based on alignment and look for specific things post-snap to see through disguises.

If you also look here, you can see that Cover-2 disguises, no matter who goes to what spot, all have this same look to them. If you train to pick up this look/this unfurling shape, you can pick up any Cover-2 disguise immediately.

If the Mike LB is getting significant depth like this and there's no deep middle S, it's Cover-2 (Tampa-2), and the over-the-ball route off of him is open. While this specific isn't based on whole coverages, just on the Mike individually, Burrow picks up the whole thing quickly. The unblocked rusher can't even get close.

The Bengals hammered this design as well, which is a staple. Against split-safety coverages, Burrow will work the corner to the under (5 yard in-breaker by the X receiver) to the deeper route. If the route converts to a bender like Gesicki's does here in the first clip, he'll work off of the WLB. If the route is a corner like Chase's in the second clip, he'll work off the CB.

I'm not sure why they convert to a bender in one play vs the other since both are the same coverage, but all of that is neither here nor there. The point is that you work one side against split safety (Cover-2, Quarters, Cover-6, etc) and the other against a single high safety (Cover-1, Cover-3). Both plays end up being Cover-2, but the pre-snap disguise and post-snap variation of Cover-2 differ play to play. Burrow sees through the noise and realizes that, at the end of the day, Cover-2 is Cover-2, and gets to his answer. Once again, it's all about deductive reasoning.

Quarters shell
Screenshot

In the second play, the Dolphins come out in a neutral Quarters shell, which is the best pre-snap look to disguise from since it's the only one you can really do almost everything from. As a result, the Bengals see it often. So from here you see the CBs off the LOS, which usually doesn't mean Cover-2, but if they're within 8 yards, they can still come play the flat.

So from that point, if you simply look at the CB and S to the boundary side (top), they will tell you everything you need to know. While the S to the bottom buzzes down and the CB turns his hips to roll deep just like in Cover-3, the fact that the S to the top doesn't spin dramatically to the deep middle tells you this is Cover-2 immediately. It won't be Quarters with a S buzzing down.

Cover 4
Weekly Spiral

If the safeties move dramatically at all, by general rule of thumb, it's not quarters. In that coverage, the safeties have to play top down with vertical man to man responsibilities if their guy heads past 5 yards. That difference may seem hard to figure out, and the definitions make it all seem similar, but technique-wise, it's a huge difference and changes where you can line up from.

Cover-2 disguise
screenshot

As you see here, the S to the bottom has come down, but with the CB to the top squaring his hips inside and the S to the top staying out of the deep middle, by process of elimination you know it is going to be Cover-2 or close enough to it that you read it as Cover-2. Cover-6, Cover-8, or any quarter-quarter-half type coverages like that usually are read the same as Cover-2 by the QB. This is good enough to work, and otherwise, it would actually be impossible to pick it all up. Look at Burrow here. The ball is being thrown. He's not only picked up the coverage by this point, but read his key defender (the CB in this case) and found a place to go with the ball. I promise you Kirk Cousins, it can be done.

Published
Max Toscano
MAX TOSCANO

Max Toscano breaks down football strategy. Prior to joining Bengals On SI, he interned with the coaching staff at the University of Connecticut, assisting the defensive staff in opponent scouting as well as assisting the Head Coach and GM with analytics on gameday. Max's areas of specific expertise include Quarterbacks and Tight Ends, including also hosting a publication dedicated to the tight end position. He also writes for "And The Valley Shook" on SB Nation.

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