Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins top list of sophomore breakout candidates
2 min read
By: Chris Roling
Hype for Cincinnati Bengals stars Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow is starting to pick up major national steam.
The latest bit of attention comes from Zach Tantillo of Pro Football Focus, who lists Burrow and Higgins first among all of his second-year breakout candidates.
While doing so, Tantillo points out an important aspect of their possible upswing:
“Before he went down, Burrow showed flashes of strong quarterback play. He led the NFL in 300-yard passing games (five) through Week 8, but an injury-riddled offensive line led to some inconsistency from the former No. 1 pick. He was pressured 146 times in Weeks 1-11 — fifth-most — and recorded a 44.9 PFF grade under pressure compared to an 86.7 mark from a clean pocket.”
It’s all about the offensive line in Cincinnati. The team hopes that unit permits a breakout for the entire offense next season with Frank Pollack returning as coach, second-rounder Jackson Carman at guard and Riley Reiff at right tackle.
Burrow impressed everyone last year, of course. So did Higgins — but he’s built even more hype for himself by showing up bigger and faster this summer. Those are a few reasons the Bengals have two of the nine second-year breakouts listed here.
