Joe Burrow on Bengals' win over Broncos

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

12/29/2024

Transcript

00:00So I was there for the seven overtime game.

00:01Was that, was this game crazier than that one?

00:05I don't know about that, that one was pretty crazy,

00:07but this one is one of the crazier ones

00:09that I've been a part of in the NFL.

00:10That was a, feels like we've had a couple of those this year

00:14and it's nice to come out on top of them.

00:16Walk us through that sideline ball to see

00:18that was the time that kind of set up the eventual game.

00:20Yeah, we had hit, you know,

00:22we'd been throwing it short on them with stops

00:24and like 10 yard stops.

00:26And, you know, we've been completing some of those.

00:29So, you know, I was waiting for the right moment

00:31to take our shot there.

00:32And I mean, what a catch by Tee.

00:34Tee came out big, he was unbelievable today.

00:37How much knowing that they were going to have

00:38Sertan on chase and Jamar was there,

00:40we're going to, you know, bracket Jamar or whatever,

00:42did you know early on you're going to have to go lean

00:44on other guys in order to win this one?

00:47No, I mean, I just throw it where the defense tells me to.

00:49If they're going to double Jamar,

00:50I'm going to throw it to Tee.

00:52If Jamar's going to get a one-on-one,

00:53I'm going to throw it to him.

00:54I think he had over a hundred yards,

00:55so it wasn't like we weren't throwing it at him.

00:58You know, everybody stepped up big.

00:59Mike stepped up big for us.

01:00Andre had a couple of big plays, obviously Tee and Jamar.

01:05You know, when Chase goes down, Khalil goes in

01:07and has some big runs for us.

01:10It was nice to see all those guys

01:12step up and make big plays for us.

01:14You've obviously praised Tee a lot in the past,

01:16said how he was going to be a big part of the future.

01:19Tonight, I assume, is a big reason why

01:21when he's able to go and do what he did?

01:23Yeah, you see, I mean,

01:24everybody can see what kind of player he is.

01:26And, you know, he elevates us to a different level

01:29when he's playing like that.

01:31And we're lucky to be a part of what we have going on right now.

01:35Can you envision the offense without Tee?

01:36Do you know what you're talking about?

01:40I mean, we've played games without Tee this year,

01:42so we've found ways to still move the ball

01:47and create big plays.

01:48But, obviously, you know,

01:50we're at a different level when Tee's out there.

01:51Joe, on December 1st, after the Pittsburgh game,

01:55you guys dropped a 4-8.

01:56What does it mean now, in the final week of the season,

01:59to still be playing meaningful football,

02:01just a little over a month later?

02:03Yeah, I found our way back into it.

02:05I still need a little help, but, you know,

02:07all we can do now is go control what we can control

02:10and, you know, try to get a big win next week.

02:13So many ups and downs.

02:14I mean, you know, they throw it in.

02:16I mean, it looks like it's over in the regulation.

02:18It's not.

02:20You get the field goal. It's not.

02:22I mean, what's cool to be in mind?

02:27Yeah, it felt like we had won it a couple times

02:29and, you know, weren't able to close it out.

02:32And then, you know, I think we found ourselves

02:34in that spot a couple times this year.

02:36And, you know, as an offense,

02:38we didn't go close it out ourselves.

02:39Taby did, and so that felt good.

02:40Mentally, what's going on in your mind

02:42when it's like that, where it feels like

02:44it's about to be over and you want it,

02:46and then you have to reset and go back out?

02:48Yeah, you know, the way the season has gone,

02:51deep in your mind, you know, it felt like you had won it,

02:55but, you know, crazier things have happened.

02:57And so, you know, I was just trying to stay calm

03:00and put my mindset in the right place

03:03to go in and have to do it again and then again.

03:07So happy we were able to do it.

03:10We finally get that win over a team,

03:13a good team in a game that's been back and forth

03:15the whole way earlier in the year.

03:18A lot of these have not gone your way.

03:20Do you feel like this team has now kind of turned a corner,

03:23and, you know, if you guys get in,

03:25you're going to be able to hang with anyone?

03:27You know, we know we can hang with anybody.

03:29You know, we've proven that this year.

03:32We've played every single team close,

03:35and so it's just about making the plays down the stretch

03:39to win those games.

03:41Today we did.

03:42The last four weeks we have,

03:43and we got to continue to do it.

03:46The Falcons say that the guys in the locker room

03:49that you do this for is a moment like today

03:51after that type of game and celebration

03:54that is a reminder of times that you've said

03:57those are what get you through the hard moments

04:00of a season like this?

04:01Yeah, that was a fun environment to walk into.

04:05That's why you do it.

04:09When you're losing, it's definitely not as fun

04:11to walk into a locker room after a loss.

04:16And then when you have so many guys step up big for us

04:19and have so many gay balls go out, that's a great feeling.

04:24I mean, you were pretty realistic four weeks ago,

04:26kind of where y'all were at, saying that's the kind of take.

04:28Had you ever imagined that this would still be on the cards

04:30with KT and with Ryan Ellington?

04:32Why are y'all in this position

04:33after being where y'all were a few weeks ago?

04:35We knew we still had a chance.

04:38We just had to go and win out, and, you know, we just...

04:43Big win, but we'll enjoy it tonight,

04:45and then, you know, take a step back, settle ourselves,

04:48and then move on to the task at hand next week,

04:52going to Pittsburgh and trying to win that game.

04:54What'd you see on the winning touchdown test, Joe?

04:58Yeah, they had been playing it down there like that

05:00the whole day.

05:02We had already hit one to T in the back of the end zone,

05:05and so, you know, figured they'd be worried about it.

05:07So it was a great call by Zach to throw one

05:10at the front pile on right there,

05:11and then T made a great catch.

05:13It's obviously a really good defense for you guys

05:15to move the ball up and down the field,

05:17really from the get-go all night long.

05:19How would you describe this offense right now

05:21and how you guys are playing?

05:24I mean, I think we're the best offense in the league.

05:27You know, we've had our moments, just like every offense does,

05:31where, you know, you stall out a little bit,

05:34but, you know, we've been so consistent this whole year,

05:37and guys stepping up in big spots

05:39and making big plays for us,

05:42and guys go down,

05:43somebody else has to step up and make plays,

05:45and we've just consistently done that.

05:50You know, it feels good to get a win like this,

05:52where nothing's going our way down the stretch,

05:57and, you know, defense gets a couple big stops,

06:00you know, over time there, and, you know,

06:02we're finally able to punch it in the end zone.

06:04There's a lot of conversation outside about you being,

06:08you know, should be in the conversation for MVP

06:10with how you've played the last couple of weeks,

06:12and if you are able to get a team into the postseason.

06:16Even Mike Parsons tweeted about you.

06:18Does that mean anything to you?

06:21When you have your peers standing up for you,

06:23and, you know, I got a lot of respect for Micah,

06:26and I've seen the things that he said about me,

06:30and, you know, that makes you feel good.

06:32You know, I put a lot of work into this

06:34to go out and play well every Sunday,

06:36and when, you know, you have conversations

06:39with the opposing team and coaches,

06:42and, you know, you see comments like that,

06:46you know, it's a good feeling.

06:49You know, that's not why you do it,

06:50but in a season like this, it's those things are,

06:56they make you feel good, and so I appreciate those.

06:58Is this one of the games where you kind of

06:59maybe do the calculus of,

07:00I might hold on the ball a little bit longer,

07:02I might try to extend plays, you know,

07:03what if I get a sack, you know, what you need?

07:04Did you kind of make that decision in the game

07:06that, hey, I'm going to try to do what I can

07:07to extend plays for the other kids?

07:10Yeah, you know, there were spots where,

07:13you know, I probably, you know,

07:15took a sack where I didn't need to,

07:17and, you know, I missed a couple of throws early in the game,

07:21but, you know, that's a good defense.

07:22They were matching in coverage,

07:24and, you know, they were doing a great job

07:26of keeping me in the pocket.

07:28You could tell that that was an emphasis,

07:31so it was tough for me to get out and try to make plays.

07:34I was still able to get out and make a couple with my legs

07:36and scramble drill situations, but for the most part,

07:39you know, you could tell that they were worried about it,

07:41and they did a good job.

07:43To confirm, you haven't creamed after an A.T. ever, have you?

07:45No, I don't think so, but I got up,

07:48and then I wasn't quite sure what to do.

07:52I was holding the ball, and then I looked at Jamar,

07:55and he shrugged and said, what are you going to do?

07:58And I just started hitting him.

07:59I don't know.

08:02We locked eyes, and I just started doing it.

08:04Do you have a recommendal album?

08:05No, I don't think I ever have.

08:07With tomorrow off, do you now sit,

08:10are you going to be watching the Indy and Miami games?

08:12Do you just kind of shut that out,

08:13or how does that work for you?

08:15Yeah, we'll watch them, and I'll go in

08:17and do my normal postgame routine,

08:19lift and get treatment and whatnot,

08:22but it'll be nice to, I forgot it was Saturday,

08:24it'll be nice to sit back and relax with,

08:27you know, I got a bunch of family and friends in town,

08:29so it'll be nice to sit back and relax,

08:31watch some games with them,

08:33you know, do Christmas with the family,

08:34and, you know, have a day to chill.

08:37Did he say anything about the great afterward?

08:39He said it didn't look bad, so I'll take it.

08:42Did you say anything to the offense

08:44before that last drive, after the defense held?

08:47No, we didn't, nothing to say.

08:49I mean, everybody knows what we got to go and do,

08:51and we had another chance to go and do it,

08:53and the guy stepped up big.

08:55The big play seemed to be the first one because second,

08:57I mean, that seemed to get it going.

08:58Yeah, I mean, Mike was great today.

09:01He made contested plays in big spots.

09:04You know, that was probably the biggest one,

09:05to start that drive off on a good note,

09:08and, you know, just watching the tape all week,

09:11I knew it was going to be a big Mike game,

09:14and he stepped up big for us.

Joe Burrow on Bengals' win over Broncos

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