Joe Burrow and the Bengals do believe in miracles

As incredible as it may sound, the Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) are not eliminated from the playoff race and right now they are the team that no one wants to face.

Unfortunately for the Denver Broncos (9-6), on Saturday they must visit Cincinnati and deal with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the stars of the Bengals offense who are not only playing at an All-Pro level, but should lead the voting for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, respectively.

Cincinnati started the season with a 1-4 record, less than a month ago they were 4-8, they have only won two games at home but, thanks to three consecutive victories, they remain alive and have a slight chance of advancing to the postseason.

Burrow and Chase are the reason

Burrow leads the NFL with 4,229 passing yards and 39 touchdown passes, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history with 4,000 yards and 30 touchdown passes in three of his first five seasons. The other three members of the club are Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Dan Marino.

Last week, in a win over Cleveland, Burrow passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns and became the first player with at least 250 yards and three touchdown passes in seven consecutive games.

Everyone has Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in mind when it comes to MVP favorites this season, but Burrow has been simply sublime, behind a mediocre offensive line and rarely helped by one of the league’s worst defenses.

The Bengals are allowing an average of 26.2 points per game, so Burrow is practically obligated, Sunday in and Sunday out, to lead four touchdown drives.

What a mission

And he wouldn’t do it without his best friend on the field, receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who leads the NFL with 108 receptions for 1,510 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Chase is just the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions, 1,500 yards and 15 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Marvin Harrison (2001), Randy Moss (2003), Jerry Rice (1995) and Cooper Kupp (2021).

Opponents know exactly what the Bengals are going to do on offense and still can’t stop the Burrow-Chase duo.

Burrow, who has the third-best third-down percentage (63.2% and a 112.9 rating), calls this season the best of his young NFL career.

“I work really hard for this,” Burrow said. “I put a lot into going out and playing well on Sundays. When you get records and when you make big-time plays, I’m trying to get better at appreciating those and being excited about that. That hasn’t really been who I am, but I think if I want to have the longevity that I want to, I need to appreciate and be excited about things like that, so that’s exciting for me”.

It won’t be easy against a Broncos defense that leads the NFL with 51 quarterback sacks this season.

Also, on Saturday the Bengals face rookie Bo Nix, who plans to give Denver a long-awaited return to the playoffs.

Nix has eight games with at least two touchdown passes and only two other rookies in history (Justin Herbert and Baker Mayfield) have done so in nine games.

But Nix is ​​just beginning his NFL career and Burrow has not only reached his best level, but is fighting to give Cincinnati an unlikely postseason berth.

And after Saturday the flame will stay lit.

Betting Pick: Bengals 30-24 Broncos

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