There is nothing better than some good, old rivalry chatter during the offseason. Nothing gets fans more hyped and ready for the coming season than something, big or little, that stirs the rivalry pot. For the Cleveland Browns, if you mention anything Joe Burrow-related, you've got the fan base's attention.
In Burrow's recent time with Cincinnati media, he talked about this Bengals team being the most talented he's ever been on during his time in Cincy. But, along with that, a Bengals reporter mentioned the idea of Burrow throwing for 48 touchdowns this year, which would give him 205 for his career and break the all-time Bengals passing touchdown record held by Andy Dalton (204).
Burrow's response was short and sweet:
"Doable."
Why does this matter to Browns fans? Great question, and glad you're asking!
The Browns might be the one team standing in Joe Burrow's way of making history
Let's take a look at the Browns' schedule for the upcoming season, shall we? After all, that's been the focus over the past couple of weeks. But, beyond every NFL media team's "Super Bowl" being the schedule release, there is plenty to dive into that's worth mentioning.
In this case, look at the Browns' final six games of the season.
In Week 13, the Browns take on Burrow and the Bengals in their first of two divisional matchups. That's late enough in the season where we could see some playoff implications at stake. Furthermore, let's look a little bit later on.
The Browns and Bengals not only meet late in the season, for the first time, but they also end the season facing off. In Week 18, the Bengals will host Cleveland in a matchup that could see Burrow close to that number 48.
If Burrow is within even five or six, then the Browns know he's going to be thinking about the record.
Looking at Burrow's history against the Browns, you kind of get a mixed bag. On one hand, Burrow is only 4-6 against the Browns over the course of his career. He hasn't fared well when it comes to wins and losses.
But, in those 10 games, he's also had four games with three passing touchdowns. As far as multi-passing touchdown games, Burrow has done that six times out of 10.
Last season, as good as the Browns' defense was, they still sat in the middle of the pack in terms of their defense against the pass, allowing 25 passing touchdowns. For context, the San Francisco 49ers were the worst and allowed 36. Philly, meanwhile, was atop the league and allowed just 14.
This offseason, the Browns added a couple of defensive backs, but none more important than rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who is sure to help the secondary level up.
We are a long way away from January 10, 2027. But, it's worth noting that Burrow has his mind on the record, and if he's close going into that Week 18 matchup, it could happen at the Browns' expense.
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