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Netflix Gives Bengals Fans a Chance To Watch Joe Burrow's Photographic Memory Click in Real Time

Jay Morrison|
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow calls out a play last year vs. the Raiders.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow calls out a play last year vs. the Raiders. | Courtesy of Netflix

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Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals coaches have talked about quarterback Joe Burrow’s photographic memory and instant recall since he arrived in 2020.

In Episode 2 of the new seasons of the Netflix series “Quarterback,” you can watch it happen in real time.

There is a scene at practice where Burrow is going over the finer points of a play with receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Burrow is explaining what the throw is supposed to be like for him and what he wants from Chase on the route, when the recall pops into his head.

“Remember what I used to throw to Jet (Justin Jefferson) at LSU,” he asks Chase. “Remember I hit him against Georgia?”

“Whatever we called it, it was that …” Burrow’s voice trails off and he simply decides to show him.

That Burrow can recall a play from five years ago on the fly is impressive.

That he knows Chase will remember it as well with just a simple mention is even more so.


And that helps explain their incredible connection, which goes way beyond just talent.

“Ja’Marr is one of the best players of all time,” Burrow tells a show producer. “And if you’re the quarterback and you’re not going to throw to that guy, then you shouldn’t be the quarterback of that team anymore.”

“I think that’s pretty cool he would say something like that,” Chase says in an interview with the show. “He’s really intelligent, man. He’s always trying to get an edge on something.”

But Burrow and Chase aren’t the only ones who display instant recall.

The show cuts to a clip of Chase’s first NFL touchdown in the 2021 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Bengals play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard calls the play, then adds “shades of the national championship game.”

Netflix shows the play Hoard is referencing from LSU’s championship win against Clemson, and the route and throw are almost identical to the one from the Vikings game.

 The episode dives further into the Chase-Burrow relationship with a scene of them and their parents sitting around a table and talking about meeting and the friendship that has developed.

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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.