After the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 on Sept. 13, quarterback Joe Burrow found his way to the speaker system in the locker room.
Burrow changed the post-game locker room music to Bob Marley.
“We had to get some good vibes going,” Burrow said following the game.
The Bengals’ locker room was buzzing with excitement following the Week 1 win. There was a sense of relief when Burrow addressed the media.
He didn’t play his best game. But it didn’t matter. Cincinnati found a way to win without Burrow having to be a hero.
Burrow completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards and threw one touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki.
It would have been a solid day for Burrow had he not committed a costly turnover in the fourth quarter. Burrow was
picked off by Tampa Bay linebacker Josiah Trotter in the fourth quarter, and the interception was returned for a touchdown, bringing the Buccaneers within one score.
Burrow knows he can’t make those mistakes. As he always does, Burrow took full responsibility for the interception.
“Terrible from me,” Burrow said. “I had an out route to the field. The flat defender got underneath it, so I'm trying to throw the replacement, and the guy made a good play. But I can't make that play.”
One of the traits that makes Burrow such an elite player at his position is his ability to be self-reflective and adapt. Rarely does he make the same mistake twice.
Burrow and the Bengals’ offense will get rolling. Under head coach Zac Taylor, it typically finds its rhythm as the weeks go on.
The biggest takeaway from Burrow’s postgame press conference wasn’t his thoughts on the offense. Overall, he thought the offensive line played well, and he was happy with his performance outside of the interception.
It was his comments about the defense and kicker Evan McPherson that show Burrow is able to move forward from a game where he didn’t play his best without feeling the weight of the world.
“I mean, four turnovers. ... You're gonna win a lot of football games if you get four turnovers.”
“(Evan) was unbelievable today. He keeps getting better and better and better. I'm so happy for him to have the day that he did today, and you know, he's such a weapon for us.”
For the last three years, due to deficiencies on defense, Burrow needed to play perfect to give the Bengals a chance to win. This style of play left him sitting at home when the playoffs started each of the last three years.
On Sept. 13, he learned that he doesn’t have to be perfect to win. He can make a mistake once and a while and his team will survive. Burrow didn’t understate the importance of starting the season 1-0. Especially with two road games coming up in Houston and Pittsburgh in Weeks 2 and 3.
“It's great for the vibes,” Burrow said. “There's a lot of attention around Week 1, just because you know there's so much anticipation around it. So going out and getting a win feels great, but we just got to keep it rolling.”
The Bengals and Burrow will celebrate their win Sunday night, review the film and make corrections Monday before turning their attention to the Texans.
It wasn’t a perfect day for Burrow and the Bengals’ offense, but it’s a lot easier to make corrections with a win in the bank rather than a loss.
“A lot of guys stepped up and made big time plays,” Burrow said. “Obviously, got some things to fix, just like everybody does in Week 1. But it's great to come out with a win.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'It’s great for the vibes.’ Joe Burrow on Bengals' 1-0 start
