Joe Burrow admits Ravens defensive coordinator's comments sparked 525-yard game in Bengals' blowout win

Burrow was motivated by Wink Martindale's gold jacket comments from earlier in the week

Joe Burrow won't credit Wink Martindale for his historic performance in Sunday's win over the Baltimore Ravens, but the Cincinnati Bengals franchise quarterback didn't shy away from pointing them out after throwing for the fourth-most yards in a regular season game in NFL history.

Burrow torched the Ravens defense in the Bengals' 41-21 victory, completing 37 of 46 passes for 525 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 143.2 passer rating -- becoming the first player in NFL history with 525 pass yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game. Martindale, the Ravens defensive coordinator, said earlier in the week he wasn't "ready to buy a gold jacket for Burrow yet," paving the way for Burrow's historic performance. 

Burrow didn't address the comments all week, even though he admitted after Sunday's win they were enough to motivate him. 

"I didn't think it was a necessary comment," Burrow said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I wouldn't say I was offended by it. I mean, I'm in Year Two. Who knows what's going to happen down the road? But I didn't think it was a necessary comment."

Burrow is the first player in NFL history with two 400-yard passing games against a single opponent in a single season and his 941 yards against the Ravens this season are the most by one player against one team in a season in NFL history. The Ravens have given up 400 passing yards and three touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks just six times in franchise history -- and Burrow has two of them. 

The comments Martindale made were certainly bulletin board material for the Bengals, who now have a one-game lead in the AFC North -- over the Ravens -- as a result. 

"We're going down the wrong street, because ... like I said last week, Davante Adams, he's one of the top two receivers in the league, and he's not No. 2, and Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Fame quarterback, and I don't think we're ready to buy a gold jacket for Joe [Burrow] yet," Martindale said Thursday. "You could tell the game is slowing down for him. He's seeing things a lot faster than he did his rookie year, and it's going to be a tough challenge."

Martindale may want to rethink his comments from earlier in the week the next time Baltimore faces Burrow -- or choose his words more carefully. All Burrow needed was that one line for motivation against a depleted Ravens secondary.