Joe Burrow‘s last play of the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason opener against the Detroit Lions last week saw the QB get crunched after left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. got beat.
Despite the play and other reported struggles during camp, Brown, who signed a two-year extension in March, isn’t sweating his play entering the 2026 season.
“I feel really confident,” Brown said, via Jay Morrison of SI.com. “Normally at this time I would feel a lot more rusty than I have. But at this point, I feel pretty good.”
On a third-and-4 last Thursday, Lions undrafted rookie Eric O’Neill came screaming off the edge, bent around Brown’s would-be block and smoked Burrow as the QB released the ball, which fluttered incomplete to end the drive. It was the second hit Burrow took — a sack on the first drive off a Detroit stunt.
Brown noted the jump-set he used on the play isn’t part of his normal repertoire, but must be better when he does employ it.
“I gotta do a better job obviously on my jump set and just being clean and making sure that there isn’t any type of late leakage like that,” he said. “It’s our job to protect Joe, and we take that personal.
“I take it personal, and s—, that mistake’s on me.”