When one of the most prolific wide receivers in Bengals history surfaced on the Paycor Stadium field before last month's Ring of Honor game, T.J. Houshmandzadeh made sure he put his arm around Jermaine Burton and inspiration in his ear.
Houshmandzadeh, who coached Burton coming out of Alabama during this year's draft process, reminded him how good he is and just how important the little things were for him while he was catching 507 balls for the Bengals.
Earlier that weekend, Houshmandzadeh mused, "Great kid. Love him. I tell him, 'If you're not playing, you're the reason."
Fast forward to Sunday's next game at Paycor Stadium (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Fox 19) against the Raiders, and Burton is the reason why the Bengals coaches are talking about him giving him more work after last Sunday's career-high 24 snaps against the Eagles. One fewer than he had all season.
"No missed assignments," said wide receivers coach Troy Walters after Wednesday's practice. "No mental errors."
There's no questioning Burton's sheer talent. It's hard to recall a Bengals receiver who has made such an impact on his first snaps.
Even the three-time Pro Bowler in front of him, Ja’Marr Chase, lost two yards on his first catch. Even Ring of Honor member Isaac Curtis, Lord of the Long Ball, had 46 yards on four catches in his first game.
After Burton made his first NFL catch down the left sideline for 47 yards in Kansas City, it was six weeks before his next catch down the right sideline at Paycor last Sunday on a carbon-copy 41-yard go ball.
According to Elias, Burton is the first player to make 40 yards on his first two NFL catches since the Rams' TuTu Atwell did it two years ago, but Atwell had already been in the league for a year.
And then go back to Burton's first catches of 37 and 38 yards in the preseason. The kid's a walking explosive.
"He's made plays since he's been here when the ball comes his way," Walters says. "Not playing was somewhat the details and all that. But a lot of that was the guys in front of him. Andrei (Iosivas) is playing well. Tee (Higgins) and Chase and he understands. I always told him to be ready. He was getting a little frustrated not playing. I always told him it's a long season. Your time is going to come and when it comes you have to be ready to make plays and he made a play in the last game."
With Higgins (quad) missing Wednesday's practice after not playing Sunday and a Thursday night game in Baltimore looming next week, Burton may get even more work against a stingy Raiders secondary ranked seventh against the pass.
The biggest endorsement comes from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Not only because he targeted him three times last Sunday and once in the end zone on third down, but also because he's pulling Burton aside in the locker room.
"He does the little things within the route to get open like a vet does. You don't have to teach him to separate," Burrow said Wednesday. "He knows how to do that. You just have to teach them how to do it within the structure of the offense.
"And that's the process that every rookie goes through. He's smart enough and willing to learn that he'll get to that point. He's going to be a really good player. I'm excited to be a part of it."
Walters, a fifth-round pick in the first draft of the century, hung on for eight years and 139 catches being where he was supposed to be for quarterbacks like Daunte Culpepper, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner. Those details Burton is improving kept Walters in the league.
"The receiver has to know what the quarterback is expecting on each route. It's just consistency from a preparation standpoint, from a practice standpoint," Walters said. "As a receiver, you always want to give the quarterback confidence that you know what to do, where to line up, you know the route. He's getting better and better each day at that."
Or, as offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher says, it's not only about being on the same page, but writing the same page.
"I need you here and here's why. What is the look in your eye when I tell you that. Do you understand me?" said Pitcher, the old quarterback and quarterbacks coach. "Are you just kind of nodding and I'm not quite sure you understand me? Are you just kind of looking at me with a blank stare …
"It happens with any relationship between any two teammates but when it happens between a quarterback and a young receiver, it's critical to how fast that guy can contribute. As the veteran leader that falls within the landscape of Joe's responsibility to help Jermaine come along that way. I think Joe's done a good job of that and I think it will continue."
Here are the two plays from the Eagles game that has Walters enthused. They were both routes run against cornerback Darius Slay, who may not be a burner at age 33, but playing in his 170th game, how many rookies has Slay taken out on pure craftiness?
First, Burton got behind him on a go-ball for 41 yards. Who doesn't Burton beat on a go-ball? Maybe an even bigger route was run in the red zone, where Burton got a step on Slay in the end zone heading toward the right pylon. Slay ended up denying Burton his first NFL touchdown pass when it ended up with a veteran hand getting in there at the last instant.
On Sunday, Burrow took blame, saying he threw it short.
On Monday, Burton took blame, saying he should have secured the ball and come down with it.
On Wednesday, Walters said it was a matter of detail, but still improvement.
"He knows he can make that catch in the end zone. This league is all about contested catches. The great receivers, they come down with those. I told him that," Walters said. "A little quick (on his route). He didn't get quite his depth, so Joe kind of had to rush the throw. That's why we kind of had to wait on it."
But the separation he got on the two plays has them thinking Burton is closing the rookie gap.
"Just his route running," said Walters of what stood out last Sunday. "He had to create separation at the top of his routes. He was very impressive overall the way he used different techniques."
Burrow saw it.
"You just go watch his route tape and see the separation and see the little things that he does that not everybody does to get open against man coverage," Burrow said. "The eyes, the suddenness, the hand fighting. He does things that you can't really teach."
The lesson Houshmandzadeh taught surfaces this Sunday. Burton is the reason he'll get another shot.
