AgentDib":2l8bgvq6 said:
I don't think Burrow is better than Russ but he is much cheaper. That allows the rest of his team to be better around him, and that advantage will go away in three seasons. Then he'll be playing on hard mode like Russ does, and like Mahomes will be doing starting next year. I don't begrudge any NFL players getting as much money as they can but the cost of getting a huge payday is that your team has less money to spend on other players.
Current version of Joe Burrow is already significantly better than the current version of Russell Wilson. Burrow reads defenses and throws on time and accurately to whichever receiver is open vs that defense. Wilson runs around 5 seconds and then either gets sacked or finds Tyler. Russell was *awful* on 3rd downs this year.
For Wilson to succeed, Waldron had to figure out how to get teams out of coverages that Russell struggles against, like the 2-High that's been Russell's kryptonite. Against the Bears, the late-season emergency of Rashaad Penny, along with Jake Curhan and the OL, gave Waldron the weapons to do it. It worked. Then Wilson takes a bonehead sack, Myers misses a FG, and Chicago drives down the field and wins it on a TD and 2 point conversion.
What was Russell, like 0-for-6 in 4th quarter potential game-tying or game-winning drives this season?
Burrow went 2-for-2 against Tennessee and KC in the playoffs, divisional round and AFCCG. Sadly, Burrow was only 2 for 3 in the playoffs overall, thanks to Aaron Donald. Jamarr Chase has beaten Ramsey for a TD if Burrow has one more second to throw, and Bengals win.
Wilson with the read-option run threat and Marshawn and that elite LOB defense, Russell on his rookie contract, cheap but road-grader run game OL that's crap at pass-pro, that was the 2013-2014 Seahawks formula for success. The Bengals' success this year was due to an approximation of that model, but mostly to Joe Burrow, AND to Burrow being on a cheap rookie contract that let Cincy pay enough other talent to be competitive.
When the Bengals have to pay Burrow and Chase? fuhgeddaboudit. No $$ to pay D. Bengals will be lucky to make playoffs.
2nd Year Burrow > 2013 2nd Year Wilson even with Wilson R-O threat and Wilson mobility
Burrow leadership > 2013 Wilson leadership (but it's close)
2013 Lynch > Mixon (but it's surprisingly close);
2013 LOB > Cincy D;
2022 Cincy OL > 2013 Hawks OL--remember Bowie and Bailey? Russell running for his life vs Rams and Robert Quinn?
On topic, I'd have to say the Bengals OL is slightly *worse* than the Seahawks OL, but it's close, nearly a draw, and whichever one has more healthy starters available is better on any given day. Burrow throws the ball on time much more than Wilson, which helps his OL.
Bengals O-Line whiffed on Aaron Donald on that final 4th down play despite *trying* to double-team him. Ballgame. Championship. For Rams.