How Joe Burrow has turned a mundane NFL event into a must-see event
By Zach Ragan
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow hasn’t made a huge impact in the NFL yet.
But he’s already managed to help turn an NFL event that a lot of folks view as “mundane” into must-see television.
In the early 2010s, the NFL started regularly airing Thursday night football games, turning what was previously a “special event” into a weekly occurrence.
The Thursday night games have provided some excitement over the years, but that’s usually not the case.
More often than not, fans are treated to lackluster matchups and poorly played football (thanks to the limited time to prepare for the game).
For that reason, I’ve never been a big fan of the Thursday night games. I’d prefer to watch college football on Thursday nights while saving the NFL matchup for Sunday.
However, in 2021, there’s a must-see Thursday night game and it’s because of Burrow.
Joe Burrow helped turn a week four TNF game into must-see television
In week four, the Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will host Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football.
This week, CBS Sports named the matchup as the most underrated game of the 2021 season.
There are so many great storylines with this game.
First off, it’s a rematch of the 2019 national championship game. Burrow’s LSU squad got the best of Lawrence and Clemson in that championship game. But will the outcome be the same in the NFL?
These two young quarterbacks are poised to dominate the NFL for the years. Burrow and Lawrence could be this generation’s version of Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning. This is the first matchup of what could end up being an all-time great rivalry.
Another great storyline is Urban Meyer’s return to Ohio. Meyer, an Ohio native who attended college at Cincinnati, was the head coach at Ohio State from 2012-2018. It will be interesting to see how he’s received in his return to The Buckeye State.
Ja'Marr Chase's reaction to the city of Cincinnati. dark. Next
If it wasn’t for Burrow (and Lawrence) this game would be an afterthought outside of Cincinnati and Jacksonville. But thanks to these two dynamic quarterbacks, this is going to be one of the most hyped games of the season.