While the Cincinnati Bengals certainly hope Sunday is their lucky day, Thursday treated two star players pretty well. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase took home two top honors during the NFL Honors show:

Comeback Player of the Year

Joe Burrow’s rookie season was cut short by a knee injury in his 10th game with a 2-7-1 record. The Bengals quarterback sure made up for that in 2021.

Burrow has won the AP Comeback Player of the Year award as he led Cincinnati’s worst-to-first improved in the AFC North. Burrow earned 28 votes from a nationwide panel of media who regularly cover the NFL, with Dallas QB Dak Prescott receiving 21 and Chargers safety Derwin James getting the other vote.

How good was Burrow in 2021? The 2020 first overall draft pick from LSU smashed single-season franchise records for passer rating (108.3), yards (4,611), TDs passing and 300-yard games (six). His precision passing ranked first in the league at a 70.4% completion percentage, and despite being sacked a league-high 51 times, Burrow had an 8.9 yards per attempt that also led the NFL.

Burrow, getting ready for Sunday’s Super Bowl, of course, is the second Bengal to take the award, which was announced at NFL Honors. Quarterback Jon Kitna won it in 2003.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, as dynamic a newcomer to the NFL as anyone in recent years, has won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

In balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL, and released Thursday night at NFL Honors, Chase drew 42 votes to easily outdistance New England quarterback Mac Jones with five. Kansas City center Creed Humphrey got two votes, while Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater received one.

In the Bengals’ worst-to-first AFC North rise, and then deep into the playoffs, Chase was a major contributor. The fifth overall pick in last April’s draft despite skipping the 2020 season at LSU due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chase quickly silenced critics who believed Cincinnati should have taken an offensive lineman to protect quarterback Joe Burrow.

Instead, Burrow found his former LSU teammate 81 times for 1,455 yards with 13 touchdowns. Chase was a factor on every sort of route.

He is the third Bengals receiver to win the award, following Eddie Brown (1985) and Carl Pickens (1992).