Sunday marks the first time Joe Burrow travels to our fair Queen City, and only the second time Burrow has faced the Panthers. His introduction to the game, however, was a bombshell. During that 2022 game in Cincinnati, Burrow went 22-28 for 206 yards and a touchdown, while adding another touchdown on the ground.

It’s a stat line that serves as a timely reminder of what the former No. 1 overall pick can do to a defense. His arm allows him to float balls into a basket with a soft touch when needed, or laser a pass onto a rope so tight you can hear it zip. And while Burrow isn’t necessarily a running QB, he never hesitates to use his legs to move around the pocket, even in bare boots, knowing he can wait until the last millisecond to make a throw.

Burrow’s biggest threat, however, is in his weapons. The Bengals have surrounded their passer with receivers like Ja’Marr Chase, their solid deep threat, and Tee Higgins. The latter was out for the first two weeks and made his debut on Monday Night Football this week. In his place, Burrow has come to rely heavily on second-year receiver Andrei Iosivas.

Through the first three games, Burrow has targeted the duo on 34 percent of his passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns. Burrow especially likes Chase in man coverage, when he’s ISO’d. Heading into Week 3, Burrow had a 100 percent completion rate when targeting Chase in man.

The Bengals were looking for a running back to shoulder the load after trading Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans this offseason, and have found two to provide a balanced attack. Zach Moss has received the bulk of the touches, grinding out yards in the trenches, while Chase Brown has provided a bit more burst, averaging 6.8 yards per carry.