Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow received some major respect this week from Buffalo Bills defensive back Micah Hyde.
It’s hard to believe, but Burrow has only played against the Bills once — the Bengals’ win against Buffalo in the playoffs this past season.
(Cincinnati and Buffalo started a game late during the 2022 regular season, but the matchup was canceled after Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.)
Despite only playing against the Bengals once, Hyde has seen enough from Burrow to suggest that the former LSU star is the best at running the two-minute drill in the NFL.
“Joe Burrow is someone that sticks out in recent years,” said Hyde on Friday during an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. “He’s one of those guys that no matter how much time is on the clock, he’s going to get it done. And with weapons like [Ja’Marr Chase], you gotta be able to stop all those guys. He’s so smart. He knows what [defense] you’re going to be in. We saw it firsthand in the playoff game and what he was able to do to us.”
Hyde told NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt that Burrow demoralized the Bills by “nickel and diming” the Buffalo defense all the way down the field.
The “nickel and dime” comment from Hyde wasn’t an insult, by the way. Hyde said that was how the Bills wanted to dictate the game, but Burrow was good enough to still make Buffalo pay.
It didn’t take long for Burrow to adjust to how defenses were defending him. Opponents had some success early last season by playing soft coverages against the Bengals, essentially taking away the deep shots.
Burrow eventually decided to take what the defense was giving him and it worked beautifully for the Cincinnati offense — the Bengals won their final eight games of the regular season.
Between Burrow’s ability to deliver in two-minute situations and the adjustments he’s been able to make to NFL defenses, it’s not surprising that he’s receiving praise from a respected player like Micah Hyde.
