Outside of die-hard fans and a few backups fighting for roster spots, most people don’t pay much attention to preseason games. They’re essentially NFL friendlies, fun to watch, but meaningless in the standings. Still, they carry one undeniable appeal: they signal that football is back.
Advertisement
This year, however, the preseason matchup between the defending champion Eagles and the Browns is generating more buzz than usual. The reason? Fans are eager to see Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts share the field, setting the stage for a showdown between two top-ten quarterbacks.
Burrow, who rarely plays in the preseason, has made it clear he intends to suit up. Head coach Zac Taylor explained that the Bengals are looking for an early-season spark to avoid their typical slow start in September. Cincinnati has often stumbled out of the gate, and Burrow himself has struggled to deliver peak performances early in the year. Playing preseason snaps, he believes, could help him hit the ground running.
But for Burrow, tonight’s game isn’t just about shaking off the rust. It’s also about making a statement. While Hurts owns a Super Bowl ring, Burrow wants to remind everyone that when it comes to pure quarterback talent and individual production, the LSU alum still has the edge over his Oklahoma counterpart.
Both Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts entered the league in 2020, drafted by their respective teams. But unlike Hurts, Burrow was the immediate starter in his rookie season. As per Pro Football Reference, since then, he has played 69 games, throwing for 19,001 yards, 140 touchdowns, and 46 interceptions. He carries a career passer rating of 101.2, averages 7.5 yards per attempt, and has firmly established himself as one of the league’s most efficient passers.
Hurts, on the other hand, has appeared in 77 games, passing for 14,667 yards with 85 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. While his 7.6 yards per attempt slightly edges out Burrow’s mark, his passer rating sits at 93.5, well behind the Bengals quarterback in most passing categories.
The difference in production is partly due to team philosophy. The Eagles are a run-first team, leaning heavily on the ground game, while the Bengals build their offense around the passing attack.
Unsurprisingly, that’s where Hurts holds the clear advantage: his mobility. Unlike Burrow, he’s a true dual-threat quarterback. The Super Bowl starter has rushed for 3,133 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career, compared to just 806 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns for the LSU alum.
At halftime of this preseason meeting, the Eagles led the Bengals 24-14. Burrow started the game, going 10-for-10 with 122 yards and two touchdowns. Hurts didn’t take the field until after halftime, with backup Tanner McKee leading the first half in his place. McKee impressed, completing 14 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
