Richard Sherman Slams Bengals as He Champions Joe Burrow for NFL MVP
Bengals QB Joe Burrow gets some MVP love from the former All-Pro CB
No matter how well a quarterback is playing, if his team is losing games, he will receive some amount of criticism. The leadership component of the position connotes a responsibility to get the rest of the team mentally prepared to succeed on the field. But there has to be a limit, right? Although the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) are the biggest disappointment of the 2024-25 NFL campaign, Joe Burrow is undoubtedly one of the best QBs in 2024.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick has 3,337 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, both of which rank first in the league, to go with only five interceptions. He is playing at an elite level and giving his team a chance to win each week, but the porous defense is surrendering 28.3 points per game.
Since there is presently no knowledge of locker room strife centering around Burrow, it seems utterly silly to blame him for Cincy’s placement in the standings.
By ignoring context and only focusing on results
By ignoring context and only focusing on results, a spectacular individual year is becoming buried in the ashes of the Bengals’ catastrophic season. Richard Sherman is doing his part to unearth No. 9’s masterful effort, however.
“Statistically, look, Joe Burrow should be the MVP,” the Super Bowl 48 champion and former All-Pro cornerback said after the Detroit Lions edged out the Green Bay Packers, 34-31. “His team has just let him down… You can say what you want. You can boo what you want. The numbers are the numbers.”
Does Bengals QB Joe Burrow deserve genuine MVP consideration?
Sherman made his proclamation in Ford Field during Amazon Prime’s postgame show, and therefore was jeered by the remaining Lions fans in the crowd. Jared Goff strengthened his own MVP case on Thursday night, completing 13 consecutive passes to lead his squad to a gutsy victory. Though, it is obvious there is a disparity in productivity between the Detroit and Cincinnati rosters.
Burrow has made costly turnovers this season, including two lost fumbles and an interception in last Sunday’s 44-38 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there is no way the Bengals could win a game in which he tosses five interceptions like the Lions did in Week 10. Moreover, Burrow is taking snaps behind what Pro Football Focus ranks as the 31st offensive line in the NFL, while Goff receives protection from the No. 1 unit (MVP favorite Josh Allen is aided by the No. 6 O-Line but admittedly lacks a top wide receiver).
None of this is said to pick on Goff, who is an essential component on the team many expect to compete for a championship. It is important, however, for people to look at the whole picture. For example, Burrow’s already fragile MVP claim probably weakens further when juxtaposed with that of Lamar Jackson, who presently owns the better passer rating and two wins over the Bengals this year.
Nevertheless, Joe Burrow has done more than enough to be considered among the top offensive talents in the sport. Sherman may be on an island as far as the national media is concerned, but he is at least clearing the way for new conversations to take place.
