I'm old enough to have seen Fran Tarkenton.  His ability to scramble and avoid sacks until a receiver got open.  Not a running quarterback, but Tarkenton could buy extra time to beat defenses.  I'm seeing that now out of Joe Burrow.  He reminds me of Hall Of Fame Fran Tarkenton.  Not a running quarterback, or a mad scrambler on every play.  Fran Tarkenton was the Best at it, and Bob Griese was pretty good. Staubach, Montana and Elway could scramble and buy time.  

As I watch Joe Burrow, he is starting to add that Fran Tarkenton to his game.  The ability to avoid sacks, scramble out, buy time, and in doing so, a Bengals gets open.  Defensive coverage breaks down after a few seconds.  

I knew Joe Burrow at LSU could run the Hurry Up Offense and wear out Defenses running plays before Defense can catch their breath.   I knew Joe Burrow at LSU could see the whole field and would throw the ball to many receivers hitting the open man like basketball.  I did NOT know Joe Burrow had this Fran Tarkenton elusive ability to dodge tacklers and extend plays until somebody does get open.  

For those of you who never saw Fran Tarkenton, go on internet and pull up footage of him.  You will then see Joe Burrow is doing a lot of Fran Tarkenton out there trying to win games.  Burrow isn't a running quarterback, but he isn't a tackling dummy pocket quarterback either.  Defenses are finding Burrow slippery and hard to catch as Fran Tarkenton was.

GO BENGALS

Fran Tarkenton

He does kinda remind me of him come to think about it. But Joe is a better QB

The way he gets beaten and tossed around he reminds me more of Joe Kapp in SB IV, but meh, one old Viking QB for another.

Fran Tarkenton was a great passer and in HOF.   Joe Kapp and Billy Kilmer threw these wounded duck passes that it's amazing anybody ever caught them. However Joe Kapp in 1969 was one tough dude.  He didn't get thrown around. he threw other players around.  In NFL Championship Game, a Cleveland Brown defensive player tried to tackle him, and QB Joe Kapp got up, the Cleveland Brown D player got carried off the field.  Joe Kapp was tough, and he kind of stood for the 1969 Vikings toughness, but his passes were awful.  Fran Tarkenton could throw, he was great.

My point is that Joe Burrow scrambling to his left and to his right, and escaping tackles, buying time until a Bengal gets open, that is Classic Tarkenton.  Now Boomer Esiason was hard to tackle because he was so darn big.  Sometimes 2 or 3 defenders had Boomer and he still threw 30 yards down field because he was so darn big.   Neither Tarkenton or Burrow had Boomer size.  Nor could either Tarkenton or Burrow run like Cam Newton.   Burrow looks about the size of Tarkenton, has a great arm like Tarkenton, and Burrow is slippery and elusive avoiding tacklers like Tarkneton.  Burrow on a play last week scrambled out of the pocket left, and turned and scrambled back right, and after holding the ball close to 10 seconds which is unheard of, he threw and completed a pass down field, and THAT is Classic Fran Tarkenton.

I must add that scrambling means The Offensive Line isn't doing there job.  If the Bengals could Block, Burrow wouldn't have to run around like Fran Tarkenton.  I don't know who's in charge of Blocking and Tackling on this team, but it has to get better.

and Fran Tarkenton never won a Super Bowl.

(12-18-2024, 10:09 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: and Fran Tarkenton never won a Super Bowl.    

and some average quarterbacks have won NFL Championship or Super Bowl.  Other than The AFL Jets and AFL Chiefs winning, The NFL Champions and The Super Bowl Champions are the same thing. We have to give credit to all Champions of the 1920's, 1930's 1940's, 1950's, 1960's.  There were NFL Champions way before the first Super Bowl and the first 2 weren't much.  Green Bay vs Dallas in NFL Championship was better than what AFL had to offer.  

Tarkenton is in HOF and his passing records speak for themselves.  He had to play for the expansion Vikings in early 1960's and then a not very good New York Giants in late 1960's.  It was a big deal when Vikings got him back. However he had to play in Super Bowls the 1970's Pittsburg Steelers who were a dynasty, and The John Madden Oakland Raiders who were more than due a Super Bowl win.   

I think it was 1976 when Bengals played Vikings and they could not catch Tarkenton.  He would avoid Bengals holding the ball maybe 10 seconds until Bengals coverage broke down. Tatkenton was on his game and Bengals had no defense for that.  So when Burrow holds the ball 10 seconds, which is unheard of because the ball should be thrown in 3 seconds, Burrow being slippery avoiding tackles is THE ONLY reason I compare Burrow to Tarkenton lately.  

That said, I repeat, Bengals need better Blocking.  The Tarkenton or Burrow scramble is out of desperation due to poor blocking.  If Tarkenton had better blocking or if Burrow coukd get better blocking, that is how you get Super Bowl Wins, with good Blocking and good Tackling on defense. 

Sorry Tecmo, but Fran Tarkenton is in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Now Doug Williams won a Super Bowl, but he wasn't close to an NFL Hall of Fame career.   Because of his 2 AFC Champiknship games and a Super Bowl trip, I put Joe Burrow as best Bengals QB, followed by in this order, Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer, Virgil Carter and a what if to rookie of the year Greg Cook.  So I already list Joe Burrow as best Bengal QB ever, with many wins ahead of him, BUT HE NEEDS MORE BLOCKING. 

(12-16-2024, 05:00 PM)kevin Wrote: I'm old enough to have seen Fran Tarkenton.  His ability to scramble and avoid sacks until a receiver got open.  Not a running quarterback, but Tarkenton could buy extra time to beat defenses.  I'm seeing that now out of Joe Burrow.  He reminds me of Hall Of Fame Fran Tarkenton.  Not a running quarterback, or a mad scrambler on every play.  Fran Tarkenton was the Best at it, and Bob Griese was pretty good. Staubach, Montana and Elway could scramble and buy time.  

As I watch Joe Burrow, he is starting to add that Fran Tarkenton to his game.  The ability to avoid sacks, scramble out, buy time, and in doing so, a Bengals gets open.  Defensive coverage breaks down after a few seconds.  

I knew Joe Burrow at LSU could run the Hurry Up Offense and wear out Defenses running plays before Defense can catch their breath.   I knew Joe Burrow at LSU could see the whole field and would throw the ball to many receivers hitting the open man like basketball.  I did NOT know Joe Burrow had this Fran Tarkenton elusive ability to dodge tacklers and extend plays until somebody does get open.  

For those of you who never saw Fran Tarkenton, go on internet and pull up footage of him.  You will then see Joe Burrow is doing a lot of Fran Tarkenton out there trying to win games.  Burrow isn't a running quarterback, but he isn't a tackling dummy pocket quarterback either.  Defenses are finding Burrow slippery and hard to catch as Fran Tarkenton was.

GO BENGALS

It seems the age of the traditional pocket passer is fading.
There aren't many of them left, especially if this ends up being Cousins's last season as a starter.

I distinctly giving a presentation in gradeschool on Fran Tarkenton and taking a tip from my sister on trying to get the audience to laugh, and interrupting myself and saying I didn't know our teacher (Fran) played in the NFL. I think I was 10.

Nobody laughed and I don't remember the next time I tried to crack a joke during a presentation until late in life.