Joe Burrow got lit up by a dirty hit, but lived to tell the tale (Video)

Joe Burrow was leveled by a dirty hit, but he was able to live to get sacked again. 

In only his third NFL start, Joe Burrow is learning very quickly that success at the professional level is hard to achieve.

It’s especially hard when you have little help around you. The Cincinnati Bengals are a far cry from what Burrow experienced with the LSU Tigers last season, and he’s finding that out the hard way.

Burrow was absolutely annihilated by Malik Jackson on a hit that was rightly deemed to have been dirty.

It was a scary few moments after the hit, as Burrow left the game and needed to be attended to on the sideline. He returned a few snaps later though, which is exactly what LSU fans remember about his gutsiness and what Bengals fans are hoping he imprints onto the franchise.

Anytime something like this happens, the refrain is to say that Burrow needs to be rescued from Cincinnati. But rather than play to the easy joke or lowest common denominator, Burrow needs to be protected and not rescued.

Burrow is exactly the type of quarterback a listless franchise like the Bengals need, but if he doesn’t have any protection around him he’s only going to be so good. With what little help he has around him so far in his rookie season, Burrow has actually played phenomenally well. A win remains elusive, but there’s a lot to love about everything we’ve seen from him through his first two starts.

So instead of wondering when Burrow will be saved, start asking the Bengals to protect their franchise quarterback because he’s a gift that football fans everywhere would like to not have ruined.