2026 NFL predictions: Oddsmakers underestimate Joe Burrows arm

There are only two things that can stop Joe Burrow: an injury and a terrible defense.Last season, the Bengals were derailed by both.Burrow missed nine games with turf toe and the Bengals finished 30th in the NFL in points allowed.He doesn’t have to worry about the injury entering this season and if the defense doesn’t meaningfully improve, he can nullify Cincinnati’s defensive ineptitude when he’s at his best.Burrow seems confident that this season will be light-years better than the last and if history is a guide, he will very likely be right about that.Only a handful of players have bounced back from an injury-plagued season looking as good as Burrow has in the past.In 2021, Burrow returned from a torn ACL, MCL, PCL and partial meniscus tear to win Comeback Player of the Year in just his second season as a pro.In 2024, he won the award again and led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns after a season-ending wrist injury in the prior season.I’m not expecting another CPOTY for Burrow this season, in part because he actually finished last season unlike other years in which he missed time and the field for that award has a few more likely candidates.But I do expect Burrow to return to an elite level once again.His season-long numbers were deflated by a tough matchup against the Browns in Week 1 and an incomplete performance after getting hurt in Week 2.

Over the final six games, though, Burrow averaged 270 passing yards per game, which would have been good for more than 4,500 yards over a full season.Catch up on The Post’s NFL betting previews and predictions for the 2026 seasonThe schedule makers were also kind to the Bengals — they have five games against teams ranked top 10 in defensive efficiency in Warren Sharp’s rankings.Sportsbooks have set Burrow’s passing yards prop at a curiously low number for the 2026 season with a total of 3,900.5.Burrow has thrown for well over 4,000 yards in every one of his healthy seasons, so this wage...