Here's what Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow had to say following the Los Angeles Chargers' 16-13 win in Week 1.
Do you think the officials could or should have called off-setting penalties on your pass that would have scored the go-ahead touchdown near the end of the game instead of the offensive pass interference since A.J. Green appeared to be being held before the push-off?
"I don't know. It was a bang-bang play. At the end of the day, I made too many mistakes to win the game and we just didn't make enough plays to win the game. So, whether that call goes our way or not, a lot of calls are going to go in a lot of different ways throughout the game. I missed A.J. on a deep ball and John (Ross III) on a deep ball (in the end zone earlier) and then I threw the interception — that just can't happen."
Your teammates said your confidence in the huddle was as they expected; do you feel you were going to go down on that last drive and win the game as you expected in your mind the whole time?
"Yeah, we weren't playing very well on offense, but we started to get a little rhythm there in the two-minute drill, and I felt like we were going to go down there and win the game. And if we didn't win, (that) we were going to score some points and go into overtime. But things didn't fall our way, like I said. We just made too many mistakes."
There are certainly some plays you'd like to have back. How would you assess your individual performance today not having seen the film?
"'D.' I can't miss that throw to A.J. (in the end zone). A high schooler can make that throw. And I can't throw the ball right to Melvin Ingram when we're in scoring range, so it was a tough way to lose."
Did you see Ingram as you threw the interception?
"Yeah, I saw him. It was just a bad shovel (pass)."
You were getting hit relatively consistently in the first half and it seemed to level off in the second half. What did you guys do to change that adjustment-wise?
"The offensive line really stepped up. In that second half, they played really, really well and gave me time back there and gave Joe (Mixon) some running lanes, so I was really happy with the way they bounced back in the second half."
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor said you audibled your touchdown run. What happened, and what did you see that led to that call? How did it feel to score your first NFL touchdown?
"You know, it felt good at the time. (It) doesn't matter now, but we were in (an) empty (formation and) they didn't put anybody in the box, so we just went to (a) quarterback draw and ended up scoring, but I'm not too worried about that."
Your last drive of the game was also your longest. What were you guys doing well to get in that position to possibly score and win?
"We just got them on their heels a little bit. We got in a good rhythm ... I got in a good rhythm with my guys a little bit — it was the first rhythm I felt all day, and we started moving the ball pretty well. Unfortunately, it was too little too late."
What's going through your head when you saw the field goal unit come on the field at the end of the game?
"I'm obviously upset we didn't score a touchdown. I thought we played well enough on that particular drive to put it in the end zone and then they made (the officials) the call. I'm not sure what happened on the kick, but it doesn't matter what happened on the kick. We should have put them away a lot of times before that. I shouldn't have missed the throw to A.J. and thrown the interception. A lot of different plays affected the game."
Do you wish you had a chance to have done for it yourself on fourth down?
"I think we've got to kick that with six seconds left. That's not enough time to get a play off really, so we've got to kick that one."
Did you see yourself gaining confidence or more awareness as the game went on with the conversations you were having with the coaching staff on the sidelines?
"Yeah. You know, it was good on the sideline. We were struggling a little bit, so everyone was a little frustrated, but they were positive conversations and there was never any negativity."
Odds makers would have likely loss money wagering on how you would score your first touchdown and unfortunately make your first turnover. It was kind of a weird game, wasn't it?
"Yeah, in a lot of different (ways) ... Football is played a lot of different ways, and there's a lot of different ways to make plays. We just didn't make enough of them today."
You said you wanted to get it and you did today, especially in the first half. How difficult is it to go up against that Chargers pass rush?
"Joey (Bosa) and Melvin (Ingram III), like I said before, are two of the best in the world at what they do. That's why they get paid a lot of money to sack guys like me, and they lived up to it today."
Did you talk to Bosa on the field after any of those plays where he put you down on the ground?
"We talked after the game (and he) was just like old Joey. It was fun to play against him for sure. Not a very fun ending though."
How confident are you that this team can bounce back in just a few days before you take on Cleveland with what you saw today?
"I'm confident in our guys. (I) always have been. We have no choice. We play in four days, so we're going to have to get healthy, get our bodies right and get ready to go."
Do you have any plans for the ball with which you scored your first NFL touchdown?
"No, I'm not really thinking about that right now. Probably give it to my mom or something."
Did you feel the impact of not having a preseason?
"No, I don't think so. That's kind of what I'm used to. In college there's no preseason — you just have scrimmages — so I don't really know what a preseason looks like."
When the final timeout was taken with 6:22 to go, did any communication difficulties arise as the game progressed when it's a tight game in the fourth quarter?
"I can't really remember why, when we took that time out. Obviously, you'd like to have a timeout or two (available) in the two-minute drill, but I think we executed pretty well."
You took a timeout at third-and-two with a triple-tight end formation, then came out of the timeout with three wide receivers and went deep to A.J. Green. Did you see anything in particular in the Chargers' defense that made you want to take a shot down the field?
"Zac called the timeout. It was just a bad look for the play that we were in, so we (reloaded) and he made a great call. I've got to finish that play. (If) I finish that play, we win the game. It's pretty simple."
Did you talk to John Ross about the deep ball that was missed in the end zone that likely would have been a touchdown? It didn't look overthrown ...
"No not really. The way I see it, I overthrew him. I've got to put it on his chest. I'll watch the film and see what happened, but I've got to make a better throw."
Check out some photos of the Chargers celebrating their season opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
