Did Joe Burrow win the anticipated showdown with Justin Herbert?

At first pass, it looks like Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow took a huge loss against draft classmate Justin Herbert while his team went down to the Los Angeles Chargers, 41-22.

Herbert marched into Paul Brown Stadium, threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and got the win. Burrow’s team took the loss while he threw one touchdown and two interceptions.

But it’s never so simple in the NFL, is it?

Herbert, an exceptional young passer about to dominate the AFC alongside Burrow for the next decade-plus, picked apart a Bengals secondary that just couldn’t cover passes deep down the field.

But it was Burrow toughing it out behind an offensive line that missed two starters. He played through a finger injury on his throwing hand. And it was him that had to deal with stunning mistakes by those around him.

That’s at least in part why advanced numbers from Pro Football Focus gave Burrow the nod:

At least one notable analyst agreed:

Mistakes by those around Burrow ultimately cost him the win, too. He hit Ja’Marr Chase for what would’ve been a touchdown, only for Chase to bobble it twice before it landed in the arms of a defender for an interception.

In the second half, after leading a furious comeback and about to score to take the lead, Burrow could only watch after handing off with his non-injured hand as Joe Mixon fumbled (for only the third time since his rookie season!) and the Chargers picked it up and ran it back for a touchdown.

Feel free to add in mistakes by Zac Taylor, which the head coach himself described as “horrific.”

Herbert might’ve gotten the win, but it’s totally understandable if onlookers come away thinking Burrow won the quarterback matchup. And Bengals fans have to be thrilled with his gutty performance, as its influence on the team’s culture and locker room can’t be understated.

List

Everything Joe Burrow said about finger injury after loss to Chargers