Hopefully everyone read the story that Bengalswire put out about Joe Burrow. If you did not let me give you the gist. Our boy is ahead of the class curve, and I don’t mean like getting an A in the course…he sounds like he is teaching it. Here is the quote that Paul Dehner Jr. got from Brian Callahan:
“Sometimes he would say things early on and I’d say, we are not talking about that right now, let’s just get through what we need to get through here and then we can revisit that later. We will probably answer that question you have in a day or two days or three days because we are not there yet. I know you are, but we’re not.”
Brian Callahan (OC)
Honestly my first reaction to this was “oh god, they don’t know how to coach this kid.” Could that seriously be a concern that we should all start thinking about? It makes me think about what coaches did for Peyton Manning. Clearly once Manning was comfortable running the offense he was a master at changing the play at the line and calling what he saw. How much coaching really went into Manning once he was a 3-4 years starter? Is that what we have here?
Callahan has earned his way up the ranks over his 10 year career but he has never been an OC before. Joe Burrow is special, we all know that, and perhaps he needs some additional attention. If Burrow is ahead of the group then maybe the group needs to catch up? What can the staff do to throw more at Burrow if he is already earning extra credit in the class?
This is probably much like your kids….okay maybe your brother’s kids who are smarter and mom fawns over. Guys like Higgins will likely struggle with all of the concepts and new offense. John Ross still cannot run a clean route and know his audible runs. Is this going to frustrate Joe? I hope so, because he strikes me as the kind of guy that is going to get in your grill and tell you that you are effing this thing up….then afterwards buy you a steak dinner.
I know I should be happy, excited and proud. I am more nervous that he isn’t getting challenged enough, needs to skip a few grades and perhaps start doing open heart surgery in an ER a la Doogie Howser M.D..