Ravens Star Kyle Hamilton Gives Joe Burrow Major Respect

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has built his reputation in the NFL on his accuracy, timing, and efficiency.

That reputation clearly extends across the AFC North. Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was recently asked by Evan Washburn of CBS which quarterbacks in the league are the toughest to read, and he didn't hesitate to name Burrow.

"Joe Burrow," Hamilton said. "When he gets going, he's tough. He just puts it in the right spot."

Hamilton Has First-Hand Experience Of How Dangerous Burrow Can Be

Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Simply put, that's high praise from one of football's most talented defensive backs — someone who has seen Burrow twice a year for nearly his entire career. Hamilton understands how difficult it is to disguise coverages against quarterbacks who can process defenses quickly before and after the snap.

“At this level, it’s pretty much every quarterback you go against,” Hamilton said. “They know what you’re gonna be in. Whether it’s pre-snap or half a second post-snap, they know what you’re in. So you gotta be really good and disciplined in what you’re doing, what your defense is priding itself on just from a schematic standpoint.”

For a safety like Hamilton, a highly intelligent quarterback like Burrow leaves little room for wasted movement. A late rotation, a bad angle, or even a brief hesitation can be enough for Burrow to find Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins in the soft spot of the coverage. That's part of why discipline matters so much against a quarterback who can diagnose looks before the snap.

While Hamilton spoke highly of Burrow's processing, the weapons around him, including Chase, Higgins, Chase Brown, Andrei Iosivas, and others, force defenses to be sharp in their communication and coverage. That becomes even more difficult when Cincinnati gets into third-and-manageable situations or red-zone opportunities.

“But Joe, I think is — I mean, we’ve seen him twice a year, so we kind of got used to it,” Hamilton said. “But he’s got a lot of weapons around him, too, and it makes it kind of tough.”

Hamilton's comments, for a division rival, say a lot about the challenge Burrow poses in the AFC North.

Despite a 4-7 record against the Ravens in his career, he's thrown for 3,185 yards and 23 touchdowns in those 11 games, completing 65% of his passes. Even against a Ravens defense that knows him well and has won most matchups, the former No. 1 overall pick remains one of the toughest quarterbacks to disguise his looks against.

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