Joe Burrow made Thanksgiving special for the Bengals fans. Not only did he return from the injury, but he also dominated the Ravens, winning 32-14. He was fired up during the game, thumping his head as they piled up touchdowns. But everyone was surprised when he refused to eat turkey after the game. He explained it in his post-game interview.

“I didn’t touch it. I don’t know who made it, where it came from,” Burrow said.

It goes back to his commitment to being fully healthy, especially now as he is recovering from the turf toe injury in his left foot. While turkey is less inflammatory in nature, the preparation process can certainly increase the inflammation. So, Joe Burrow doesn’t want to take any risks with his health.

Even last year, the quarterback revealed he put on 10 pounds of muscle by getting calories from clean sources like ground chicken. Bengals head strength and conditioning coach, Joey Boese, made sure he strengthened his weak body parts during controlled workouts while focusing on a time-bound diet schedule. The timing was equally important as what he ate.

Now that Joe Burrow understands they need to go on a winning streak to qualify for the playoffs, he is in no mood to allow a moment of celebration to turn into a year of regret. They didn’t qualify for the playoffs last year either. However, his performance was the reason for every Bengals fan to celebrate.

Even his teammates went feast mode while talking to NBC reporter Melissa Starks on the sidelines. The signal caller, though, became emotional about his hyped comeback.

Joe Burrow managed pain to beat the Ravens

The Bengals QB got teary-eyed while talking to Starks. He thanked everyone, doctors, trainers, physical therapists, and his teammates for working hard to bring him back. Burrow was also “grateful” to everyone in his life who kept him positive during his injury.

The Thanksgiving victory became even more special as he was named the John Madden Thanksgiving MVP. Joe Burrow completed 24 of 46 passes for 261 passing yards with two touchdowns. That’s praiseworthy. He also cleared everyone’s doubts about his health.

However, that didn’t happen without carefully managing even the smallest of details, such as pain management between the drives. How did he do that?

He brought in a pair of sneakers as his cleats had a carbon fiber plate that put extra pressure on his left foot. So, whenever he came back on the sidelines, he changed the shoe on his left foot. He started doing this after the first drive and continued this throughout the entire game.

Finally, the Bengals registered their fourth win of the season. Now, they need to sustain this momentum. Can Joe Burrow do it? He has all the skills required, but his health will be the biggest factor.