In a year in which scoring has been uncharacteristically down, it’s perhaps no surprise that 2023 has been the year of the backup quarterback. At least, everywhere outside of Pittsburgh, which just benched its backup, Mitch Trubisky, in favor of another, Mason Rudolph.
But things are going well in the rest of the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns winning with Joe Flacco and especially with the success of Jake Browning with the Cincinnati Bengals, who is 3-0 after losing his first career start to the Steelers just before his latest run.
His latest victory, which has the Bengals over .500 at 8-6, was over the Minnesota Vikings, who signed him out of Washington as a college free agent in 2019. After spending his first two years on their practice squad, he moved on and signed with the Bengals’ practice squad in 2021. He has been with Cincinnati since, winning the backup job earlier this year at age 27 and seeing his first NFL action.
“Shoulda never fucking cut me!”, he screamed at a nearby camera Saturday after the Bengals completed their thrilling overtime comeback victory. The Vikings drafted Kellen Mond in the third round that year, and he served as Kirk Cousins’ backup, Sean Mannion signed to the practice squad as the third quarterback. Mond only lasted one season in Minnesota, spending time in Cleveland and Indianapolis since, but never on the 53-man roster.
It stands to reason that this opportunity to start against the team that gave up on him—even if it is the same team that gave him a chance in the first place—meant a little more to him. The Bengals executed a six-play, 47-yard drive capped with a game-winning field goal, Browning completing a 44-yard pass to WR Tyler Boyd to convert on 3rd and 9 to get down to the Vikings’ 13.
“That one felt good”, he admitted after the game. “I think right after we made the field goal to win the game, I screamed at a camera and said they never should’ve cut me. I mean, you can’t say that the whole week and then go lose. You just wait until you win and don’t look like an idiot. I feel like I need a beer”.
Since taking over for Joe Burrow four-plus games ago, Browning is 106-for-143, throwing for 1,248 yards with seven touchdowns to three interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns and a 107.8 quarterback rating, averaging 8.7 yards per pass attempt.
And perhaps Saturday will be another revenge game for him of sorts, as he gets another crack at the Steelers. He lost that game, his first NFL start, throwing for 227 yards on 19-for-26 passing with one touchdown and one interception, mustering just 10 points of offense.
Given the state of the Steelers right now, I would figure he has a pretty good chance of winning. I’m just not sure what he’ll have to scream about if he does.
