Joe Burrow is the standard.
He might not have the arm strength of Josh Allen. Or the speed of Lamar Jackson. Or the improvisational skills of Patrick Mahomes.
But there is no quarterback who plays from the pocket better than Joe Burrow.
His game starts with anticipation. He’s a timing and rhythm passer. It’s enhanced with his pocket presence and ability to navigate the pass rush.
Not to mention, he does have some underrated scrambling and play-making ability.
Below, I take a deep dive into over 30 plays from his MVP-caliber 2024 season.
Anticipation
I’ve expressed this sentiment many times before, but show me a quarterback making anticipation throws, and I’ll show you a quarterback who has numerous other critical skills needed to play the position.
To anticipate consistently, you need to be able to read the defense, process quickly, play with timing, see the field, know where defenders will be (not where they are), understand your playbook like the back of your hand, have good footwork, throw with accuracy and touch, and basically understand how to play the position like a pro.
Burrow is as good as any quarterback in the league in this department:
He consistently gets the ball out of his hands before his receivers are out of their breaks and before the defense has time to react:
Need a good playcall for 3rd-and-a-million? With a quarterback who can release the ball before the defense knows what hit them, you’ve got a shot:
