We’ve already seen how Joe Burrow will fair in his regular-season debut. It’s what happened to Deshaun Watson on Thursday Night against the Kansas City Chiefs. An offensive line that got overwhelmed by the opposing pass rush, insufficient supporting cast, a defense that couldn’t keep the game close, and a coach that was so far over his skis he forgot he even had skis.
When Deshaun Watson struggled against the Chiefs, there were multiple drops by the Houston receiving corp that would have been caught by DeAndre Hopkins. The Cincinnati Bengals will have A.J. Green back in their starting lineup for the first time in over a year, and some may have forgotten this, but A.J. Green is a good wide receiver.
Early in their careers, there was a good case for A.J. Green being a better wide receiver than Julio Jones. It’s not crazy to say that Joe Burrow has a better group of skill position players around him than Deshaun Watson has. When it comes to the offensive line, both are equally as bad.
The offensive line that will be protecting Joe Burrow has not improved at all from last year, and Jonah Williams is a significant question mark. Injuries hampered Williams for all of the 2019 season, and without a preseason this year, no one has a clue as to how he’ll play. At this point, given the uncertainty about a single piece of the Bengals offensive line that MIGHT be an improvement, it’s fair to say that the Houston Texans have a better offensive line. However, it’s much closer than you think.
As for the defenses, without a doubt, the Los Angeles Chargers have the better defense. The Chargers have a better defensive line, better secondary, and it isn’t even close. The only part of the defense that’s even somewhat close is the linebacker groups. The Chargers are going to be living in Joe Burrow’s backfield and will be contesting every pass attempt.
Expect to see a repeat of what happened to Deshaun Watson when Joe Burrow makes his NFL debut against the Chargers. There are many similarities between the rosters of the Texans and Bengals; both quarterbacks have a horrendous offensive line and have nightmare defenses to deal with in Week 1. Joe Burrow is going to look lost.
