Ever since the Cincinnati Bengals selected quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Bengals have been one of the better teams in the league, making it to the Super Bowl in what was just Burrow’s second season in the NFL. And while he obviously has had some help from talented teammates, one stat suggests he hasn’t received as much help as one might think.
This week, Ian Hartitz of The Fantasy Life podcast shared a stat from Pro Football Focus called the “Supporting Cast Rating” which essentially ranked teams based on how much talent surrounds the starting quarterback.
“NFL ranks in ‘Supporting Cast Rating’ in terms of average team PFF rush, receiving, pass blocking and run blocking grades (everything except passing) over the past five seasons,” Hartitz said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
NFL ranks in "Supporting Cast Rating" in terms of average team PFF rush, receiving, pass blocking and run blocking grades (everything except passing) over the past five seasons: pic.twitter.com/4l7WSUlWGb
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 6, 2024
As the chart shared by Hortitz shows, the Cincinnati Bengals have ranked near the bottom and have not ranked higher than No. 16 in each of the last five seasons, indicating that Burrow has not had all that much help around him during his time in Cincinnati, at least compared to other Super Bowl contenders.
Obviously, it’s pretty brutal news for Burrow that the team has not been able to surround him with much talent throughout his time in Cincinnati, and it led to a lot of reactions on social media.
yal told me burrow be getting carried https://t.co/SLmBttlc7s
— RO Mulugheta (@_peanutdpf) May 6, 2024
Yeah…. But Joe Burrow is a carried system QB🤔 https://t.co/eZGrgsrUz6
— Sammy (@sammy______G) May 6, 2024
I’ve been lied to tremendously https://t.co/6lZgRSb7pN
— Jake R (@Jrobidy) May 6, 2024
Should I start a “Joe Burrow has no help” narrative? https://t.co/pJoZ4cKAGz
— Chris ✟ (@OpoyChase) May 7, 2024
When you see this and you know there are people in this fanbase, who will completely ignore it, trash, PFF, and tell you you’re a hater, opp, negative or miserable for acknowledging it #Bengals https://t.co/0XnzxL9ml9
— No_Mattic (@No_Mattic) May 6, 2024
Trevor Lawrence
Justin Herbert
Joe Burrow
CJ Stroud4 QBs who make the most out of below average supporting casts. The eye test checks out too. https://t.co/kfgQLDUtRx
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) May 6, 2024
Oh but Burrow is carried? I know that ain’t the ravens at the top tho? I heard Lamar does everything by himself? https://t.co/F9bbCJQSsf
— Perc Nowitzki (@Young_Yolaaaa) May 6, 2024
We’ll have to see whether or not the Bengals can give Burrow a better supporting cast in the future.
