Last year against the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw a 64-yard touchdown while he was on the run to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The play represented Burrow at the peak of his powers, and former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan called it one of the best throws he’d ever seen.
Burrow got hurt in his next game, and he hadn’t thrown a deep ball like that since he injured his wrist. That changed at training camp on Friday when Burrow threw a deep ball to Shedrick Jackson that looked a lot like last year’s 64-yard pass to Chase.
It was a full-circle moment that showed how the Bengals’ quarterback is feeling.
“I actually had to catch up to it because of how far he threw it,” Jackson said.
Following practice on Thursday, Burrow said that while he felt good about the way he was throwing the ball, his deep throws weren’t yet where he wanted them to be. One day later, Burrow came out firing aggressive throws down the field.
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Jackson was the ideal receiver to launch this type of pass toward. Jackson ran a 4.25 40-yard dash and has as much speed as anyone.
On his touchdown on Friday, Burrow scrambled out of the pocket on a broken play. As he rolled to his right and danced behind the line of scrimmage, Jackson maneuvered behind cornerback Mike Hilton.
Burrow did the rest. He pointed to Jackson and signaled for him to keep sprinting down the field. Then, Burrow put everything he had into the throw and perfectly hit Jackson in stride.
“That was a wild throw,” Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki said. “Unbelievable. Rolling right and throwing back left all the way down the field on a dot. It was perfect. He put that thing out there 60 yards deep while he was on the run.”
Burrow was 2-for-3 on his very deep throws on Friday. While he missed wide receiver Andrei Iosivas on a go ball down the left sideline, he connected with wide receiver Charlie Jones on a deep ball down the right sideline. Burrow’s pass to Jones was a dime that snuck in just over the arm of cornerback Charlie Jones.
Burrow's aggressive day highlights theme of camp
While Burrow had his best day as a deep passer on Friday, he has been taking shots down the field all summer. Even without Chase, potentially the best deep ball receiver in the NFL, Burrow is connecting with Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, Jones, Jackson, Jermaine Burton and Gesicki for big plays.
“One of our mottos this year is to create explosive plays,” Iosivas said. “We’re really trying to launch the ball down the field.”
In 2021, the Bengals were the most explosive offense in the NFL. In 2022, when defenses did everything in their power to prevent those deep throws, the Bengals evolved into a hyper efficient offense. Then in 2023, they weren’t as efficient as they were in 2022, and they also weren’t as dangerous as they were in 2021.
“We weren't explosive enough,” Burrow said.
The Bengals made some scheme changes to get more explosive. This summer, they’re running more play action passes from under center. But the biggest difference will come from the Bengals’ personnel.
Iosivas, Jones and Burton are more dynamic athletes than former Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, and they’ve all looked like better targets for Burrow on deep throws. Gesicki also gives the Bengals a style of tight end that they haven’t had since Tyler Eifert because of Gesicki’s ability to stretch the middle of the field.
“With the skill players we have, explosiveness is the expectation,” Gesicki said. “It’s what we’ve emphasized.”
New Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher has spoken a lot about making the Bengals a more versatile offense. If teams take away the deep pass, the Bengals have to be ready to run the ball with different personnel groupings. If teams try to take away the middle of the field, the Bengals have to do a better job of consistently threatening defenses over the top.
The Bengals enter 2024 with their deepest group of skill position players of Burrow’s career. The flexibility at running back, receiver and tight end give the Bengals a chance to follow through on that goal.
“Defenses can take something away,” backup quarterback Jake Browning said. “We want to make sure if they take away one thing, we can hit on the other. You can’t be one dimensional and be a good offense in the NFL.”
Ups and downs at cornerback
Josh Newton, the Bengals’ fifth-round pick out of TCU, ran with the first team defense on Friday. He has shined in one-on-one drills all summer. His aggressive approach, physical style and ability to track the ball have led to a strong first impression.
“He’s hands-on and aggressive,” Bengals receiver Kwamie Lassiter II said. “He’s smart. He has a good career ahead of him. I like his style of play. He’s a ‘crash out’ in the best way.”
Dax Hill allowed another deep reception on Friday, letting Kendric Pryor get by him on a route down the sideline. His raw tools are as impressive as any Bengals’ cornerback, but his technique against releases by receivers and his ability to track the ball in the air are a work in progress.
A new way to make an impact
When the Bengals drafted Jones in 2023, they planned to exclusively have him line up in the slot. That plan has changed this year, and Jones’ deep reception on Friday took place on a play where Jones lined up out wide.
He’s stronger than he was last season, and his straight line speed has made him a terrific punt returner.
“He can play tougher and faster because he knows what to do,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “You’re seeing the confidence take over for him.”
Practice attendance
Right tackle Amarius Mims, who left Thursday’s practice for an undisclosed reason, was a full participant on Friday.
Ja’Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, Jermaine Burton, Jay Tufele, Sam Hubbard and D’Ante Smith were among the players that didn’t practice.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow shows wrist injury is improved by launching deep throws
