Burrow to face Tagovailoa for first time in pro careers
Although the Cincinnati Bengals were 1-14 and the Miami Dolphins 4-11 when they met on Dec. 22, 2019, there were many NFL fans avidly watching that game.
That included then-lsu quarterback Joe Burrow.
“That determined where I was going, it seemed like,” Burrow recalled. “So, I was definitely cued into it.”
The Bengals were a lock to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the draft if they lost, so when they fell 38-35, the Athens native knew he was heading back home to Ohio.
After the Bengals selected Burrow, the Dolphins took Tua Tagavoila at No. 5, and the Chargers landed Justin Herbert at No. 6.
Cincinnati did their due diligence on all three quarterbacks.
“We didn't need to rush to a decision, we had until April whatever it was,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Really liked watching Tua. He was a winner. Played with a lot of confidence. Just thought he'd do a good job operating an offense in the NFL. Was clear he should be in the top of the draft, that was all very clear. For us we just saw something in Joe we believed in. He needed to be the No. 1 pick. He was the right fit for us. Never wavered from that from the day we decided until now. That was the direction we went. Certainly, saw there were other quarterbacks who could be really successful
for other teams. Just not for us.”
Tagovailoa and Burrow will face off for the first time in their professional careers Thursday, but they are no strangers to one another. The two quarterbacks squared off in 2019 when LSU beat Alabama, and they have followed each other's NFL journeys from afar.
For Burrow's part, he's been impressed.
“We can't let off the gas," Burrow said. "They can hit a big play at any moment."
In that way, this year's Dolphins (3-0) team resembles Cincinnati (1-2). There's also the new pairing of a quarterback with a young offensive-minded coach (39-year-old Mike Mcdaniel) and a team loaded with wide receivers.
This is an important game for both teams. Tiebreakers always start with head-to-head outcomes, and the AFC is stacked this year, leaving only a small margin for error, especially for the Bengals, who started the season 0-2.
Adding to the atmosphere at Paycor Stadium will be the fact that Cincinnati is debuting its new white helmet with alternate uniforms, fans are being asked to wear white and the team will be honoring newest Ring of Honor members Willie Anderson and Isaac Curtis.
Dolphins at Bengals When: 8:15 p.m. Thursday TV: Prime Video Radio: 105.3 FM