Heading into Sunday's Bengals-Ravens tilt, Baltimore defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale noted that he wasn't ready to start measuring Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow for his Hall of Fame jacket.
Following Burrow's beatdown of the Ravens in a 41-21 victory, in which the QB threw for 525 yards and four TDs, the second-year signal-caller admitted the comments "maybe" were on his mind late in the contest.
"I didn't think it was a necessary comment," Burrow said, via the team's official website. "I wouldn't say I was offended by it. I mean, I'm in Year 2. Who knows what's going to happen down the road? But I didn't think it was a necessary comment."
Martindale was asked last Thursday if he would double-team Bengals rookie Ja'Marr Chase as he did Davante Adams during the Packers game.
"Like I said last week, Davante Adams, he's one of the top two receivers in the league, and he's not No. 2. And Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Fame quarterback, and I don't think we're ready to buy a gold jacket for Joe yet," Martindale said.
Smash cut to Burrow ripping apart the Ravens defense with unrelenting glee.
Forget double-teaming one guy. Baltimore couldn't cover anyone at all, as the banged-up secondary got worked over by Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, who combined for 404 yards and three TDs.
Burrow's 525 passing yards were the fourth-most in NFL history, behind Norm Van Brocklin's 554 in 1951, Warren Moon's 527 in 1990, and Matt Schaub's 527 in 2012.
The QB's big plays started from the jump, as he tossed for 299 yards and three TDs with a 158.3 passer rating in the first half.
It's not the first time Burrow has whipped Martindale's decimated secondary. The signal-caller became the first QB to have multiple games with 400-plus passing yards and three or more TD passes against the Ravens. He is also the only QB in NFL history to record multiple games of 400-plus passing yards against one opponent in a single season. His 941 pass yards versus Baltimore is the most by a QB against one opponent in a season. Both of Burrow's career games with 400-plus pass yards came against the Ravens this season.
After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh appeared to take issue with Cincinnati HC Zac Taylor calling pass plays late to get Burrow over the 500-yard mark. The postgame handshake showed Harbaugh displeased, but he shrugged in his presser after the loss.
"They call their own plays, and we call our plays," Harbaugh said.
The plays the Bengals called included a 52-yard improvisation play by Burrow to running back Joe Mixon that put the QB over the 500-yard mark.
"I think it means a lot to the whole team. It's not just a reflection of me," Burrow said of reaching the half-thousand milestone. "It's a reflection of the offensive line, the receivers, the coaching staff and how we went out and executed today. So that's exciting."
Burrow might have shrugged at getting to 500 yards and downplayed the motivation behind his play Sunday, but his teammates saw a fired-up QB.
Said edge rusher Trey Hendrickson of Burrow, "I wouldn't go around pissing that guy off."
