Joe Burrow might have just ignited the Bengals-Ravens rivalry with trash talk comments

"I love playing the Ravens. They like to talk."

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has the utmost confidence in himself, as he should. That confidence is what allowed him to lead LSU to a national championship and the Bengals to a Super Bowl all in a three-year span.

It’s also why he’s not likely worried about a target being on his back when the Bengals play their AFC North rivals in Baltimore this fall. So, instead of downplaying his feelings about playing the Ravens during a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, he kept it all the way 100.

“I love playing the Ravens, because they talk,” Burrow said, before correcting the host on the score of their last meeting. “It was a lot to a little.”

To be more specific, the Bengals won the first game 41-17 and the second game 41-21. Burrow certainly earned the right to talk his talk, throwing for a combined 941 yards in those games. And so talk he did, seemingly with the intent of being heard.

What he said wasn’t all that bad, but he had to know in a hyper-competitive league like the NFL, players on the other side wouldn’t take his comments lightly. And sure enough, at least one Raven appeared to chime in on Twitter — his former LSU teammate Patrick Queen.

The Ravens will get their first crack at Burrow in Week 5 of the upcoming season, then they won’t play again until Week 18 with playoff stakes potentially on the line. Surprisingly enough, neither team has the best odds to win the division on Tipico Sportsbook. Baltimore and Cincinnati are tied at +200 behind the Cleveland Browns at +190.

Burrow also addressed the Browns on the podcast, reflecting on how he’s never beaten them in his career.

That’s another matchup to watch, as that 0-3 career record against Cleveland isn’t likely sitting well with Burrow. Those teams play in Weeks 8 and 14.

Without even mentioning the other team from the division to make the playoffs last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was already going to be an interesting year in the AFC North. Burrow might have just made the games a little more worth the watch.