26 January 2023 , 15:18
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was heard brandishing himself as 'him' - something that LeBron James had said about himself in a famous interview.
Burrow put together one of the best playoff performances in recent memory, making a number of incredible throughs in tough conditions in Buffalo with the snow falling.
The Bengals took a two score lead into heading into the second half after Burrow two touchdowns - with scores to Jamarr Chase and Hayden Hurst. From that point on, the Bengals just needed to not throw away the game, and keep running down the clock with long-drives, which is exactly what Burrow was able to do.
Coming into the season, all the talk was that the best two quarterbacks in the league would be Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen for the foreseeable future, with Burrow in that category below.
But on Sunday, Burrow outperformed Allen, and has done all season, to show fans that he deserves to be mentioned alongside Mahomes as the best quarterback in the league. His performance was even more impressive when considering he was missing three of his best pass protectors on his offensive line, with Jonah Williams, Alex Cappa and La'El Collins all out.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
And during the game, after Burrow lead a touchdown drive, he could be heard shouting: "I'm him". This is something that James said about himself a YouTube interview series 'The Shop' in which he, along with Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford along with other stars discuss the importance of culture in sports.
Burrow pictured in the second half of the win vs Buffalo (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)The "I'm him" phrase was also made famous in the NFL by Burrow's opponent on the day, Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, who shouted it after a last-minute touchdown in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Burrow was asked what the term means by a reporter, as he responded: "Did I say that? I don't know. Sometimes you just black out when you're out there".
Burrow will now take his Bengals to the Kansas City Chiefs for the second consecutive year in the AFC championship game, to take on Mahomes once more.
However, Mahomes will be limited in the game, playing through a high ankle sprain which will make it much more difficult for him to be at his usual level, with his game predicated on making plays outside of the pocket with his scrambling-to-throw ability.