Joe Burrow: 'It Felt Good'' to Earn Bengals' 1st Playoff Win Since 1991 vs. Raiders

Erin WalshJanuary 16, 2022

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks to pass in the first half during an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)

AP Photo/Emilee Chinn

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow led the franchise to its first playoff victory in 31 years with a 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the AFC Wild Card Round on Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium.

The former first overall pick had a simple response when asked after the game how he felt about the accomplishment.

Ben Baby @Ben_Baby
Correction: I regret to inform everyone that Joe Burrow actually said “It felt good” when asked about breaking the 31-year drought, not “It was cool”. <br><br>This account deeply regrets the error. But here is the picture so you can enjoy the glasses. <a href="https://t.co/1hLBEqCc87">pic.twitter.com/1hLBEqCc87</a>

While it was "cool" to experience, Burrow knows the Bengals can't dwell on the win too long and must prepare for their upcoming divisional-round opponent, whomever that may be.

Ben Baby @Ben_Baby
Joe Burrow, on the subdued celebration: "This is the playoffs. If you dwell on this one too much, you're going to get beat in the next round."

Paul Dehner Jr. @pauldehnerjr
Burrow on winning his first playoff game: “It’s exciting but was expected. This wasn’t the icing on the cake. This is the cake.”

Paul Dehner Jr. @pauldehnerjr
Burrow on breaking the drought: “It’s exciting for the city, the state, but we are not going to dwell on that.” Says they are ready to focus on the next round.”

Burrow had a tremendous game against the Raiders, completing 24 of 34 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase broke Cris Collinsworth's franchise record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game, catching nine passes for 116 yards.

However, there was some controversy during Saturday's game when Burrow scrambled out of the pocket, rushed toward the sideline, and somehow found Tyler Boyd for a 10-yard touchdown pass late in the first half.

An inadvertent whistle was blown while the ball was in midair, and by NFL rules, the play should have been blown dead. It wasn't, and the Bengals went up 20-6.

Regardless, Cincinnati came out with the win and is moving on to the next round, where it could face the No. 1-seeded Tennessee Titans.

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Burrow and the Bengals didn't face the Titans during the 2021 regular season, but they do have experience against Mike Vrabel's squad, having beat them 31-20 during the 2020 season. Burrow threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

If the Bengals beat their divisional-round opponent, they'll be in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1988, when they defeated the Buffalo Bills to reach Super Bowl XXIII against the San Francisco 49ers.

The last time Cincinnati was in the divisional round in 1990, they lost to the then-Los Angeles Raiders 20-10.