Joe Burrow leads NFL in key PFF passing category

Joe Burrow has been the NFL's top quarterback at attacking a specific part of the field during the Cincinnati Bengals' first five games. According to Doug Murray of the Journal-News, as reported by Yahoo Sports, Burrow achieved a league-leading 95.7 Pro Football Focus passing grade on intermediate throws, which are passes traveling 10-19 yards downfield.

He led the NFL with 32 completions at that depth without committing a turnover-worthy play. This combination indicates that Cincinnati has been benefiting from more than safe completions from their quarterback, as Burrow has consistently connected past the underneath coverage. However, at the same time, he is avoiding dangerous decisions that can turn good-looking possessions into sudden scoring chances for opponents.

Burrow's other passing statistics are also impressive. Over the five games, Burrow completed 71.4% of his passes, threw for 1,361 yards, and 11 touchdowns, placing him fifth in the league with an overall PFF grade of 86.8. The fact that Burrow has shown this level of efficiency in intermediate passing action opens up the possibility of shorter throws to move the chains in critical situations, giving hope that this performance can be sustained.

At least the sample of five games provides a positive indication, and Burrow's early command in that area serves as a solid foundation to build upon.