There were a lot of people who thought that the 2023 season was over for the Cincinnati Bengals when starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11. Their outlook certainly was bleak, as the team was turning the offense over to Jake Browning, who had thrown one pass in the NFL before coming on in relief.
Undrafted in 2019 out of Washington, Browning has spent a good amount of time with the Bengals as a backup, learning the system. The coaching staff was confident that he could get the job done, as no adjustments were made to their game plan; Browning would be running the game offense Burrow was.
Through his first two starts, he has certainly filled Burrow’s shoes admirably. An okay first start against the Pittsburgh Steelers was spoiled in a 16-10 loss. But, in Week 13 under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, Browning put together one of the best quarterback performances of the season.
Needing a victory on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars to keep pace in the AFC playoff race, Browning stepped up and delivered. He completed 32-of-37 passes for 354 yards and one touchdown, adding 22 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
NFL News & Rumors: Jake Browning & Cincinnati Bengals Update
According to NFL analytics guru Warren Sharp, Browning put together a performance that no other player in the league has accomplished this season. He is the first player to have 300+ yards on 30+ attempts with at least a 10.0 YPA while completing at least 80 percent of his passes.
The performance could not have come at a better time for the Bengals, who are now back to .500 at 6-6 on the season. Browning knows things are going to get tougher as teams will start adjusting to slow him down after such a great game on national television.
But, it isn’t something that he or the team is worried about. He has shown capable of playing winning football and the Bengals are excited about what is to come. As long as his supporting cast of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon remain healthy, Browning should continue finding success.
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