Jake Browning is giving the Bengals no choice but to eventually change their tune
Browning and the Bengals lost a third straight game thanks in part to his three interceptions.
At some point, Jake Browning is who he is.
The quarterback who has posted exactly three first-half points in each of the three games he’s started for the Cincinnati Bengals this season isn’t completely void of ability. His three second-half touchdown passes show there’s some life left in that right arm of his.
But is he anywhere close to being good enough for the Bengals to compete right now? The answer remains the same as it has been for three weeks: No. And yet, before and after Cincinnati’s 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bengals’ loyalty toward Browning is crystal clear.
Only so many more weeks of futility can preserve that sentiment.
Bengals continue to back Jake Browning despite another lackluster loss
Let’s start with the before. Zac Taylor made headlines with his emphatic confidence in Browning during his weekly press conference.
“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Jake,” Taylor told reporters Wednesday. “I’m unwavering in that. I’ve seen the best of Jake. I know that we can do a great job supporting him to where he can go win games for us.”
Taylor’s words seemed to be backed up internally. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that the Bengals have not pursued any potential trades for quarterbacks elsewhere.
Then came the game. Browning and the offense started with back-to-back punts, and then the interceptions started flowing in.
Browning, throwing from his own end zone, was behind a deep out to Ja’Marr Chase for INT No. 1. He floated a duck to Chase down the field two drives later for INT No. 2. No. 3 came on the second play of the second half, an errant pass over the middle to Chase that linebacker Alex Anzalone snagged.
Following that third pick, the Lions took a 21-3 lead. More points would come from the visiting team after a three-and-out. The damage was done.
Taylor kept Browning in the game instead of turning to backup Brett Rypien, and Browning responded with three straight touchdown drives. When it’s 28-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, pretty much everything from then on is considered “garbage time.” This proved to be the case as the Lions added to their cushion with one more touchdown and a safety.
Again, the errors were too costly. The inability to move the ball down the field when the game was close was too much to overcome. The resounding endorsement of his QB had Taylor needing to take accountability after the game.
“Put this on me,” Taylor said. “I gotta do a better job getting us into a rhythm. Get us in a way where we can sustain some drives. Put points on the board. There’s some plays he’s gonna want to have back. I’m glad he hung in there, made some plays for us down the stretch, three-straight touchdown drives at the end of the game. Sure, a lot of people want him on the bench at that point. I could hear it, and he stuck with him, and he comes back and has three straight drives for touchdowns.
“And that’s the Jake Browning I know. He’s resilient. He’ll stare diversity in the face, you can count on him bouncing back.”
Jake Browning 2025 Stats
- 757 passing yards
- 64.5% completion percentage
- 6 touchdowns
- 8 interceptions
When the head coach backs the QB and the QB plays like that, it is all on the head coach. And that’s exactly why Taylor and the team as a whole need to start putting a real clock on Browning. If they stick with him too long, the entire ship is going down.
How many interceptions and losses can rack up before the plan has to change? Browning is really doing his best to put that to the test.
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